A Shoulder To Cry On
by sparkleshine101
Summary: While out shopping one day, Hillary falls for Jake, Maxwell's owner! But what happens when Noel finds out? A love triangle of course! Chapter 13: Who will cheer Hillary up when she's upset? FINALLY FINISHED!
1. Chapter 1: Chaos in Aisle 12

Saturday, September 11th, 2004

Hey, sparkleshine101 here, with my first ever fanfic! Now I can't give too much away, but i'll give a brief summary: Okay, well Sandy's owner Hillary goes shopping one day, and runs into an extremely cute guy, and falls for him immediately. Who is this mysterious guy, and what will Noel say when he finds out about the new couple? You'll have to read it to find out! There will also be some S/M in it, and although the hamsters are barely in the first few chapters, they will be there, I promise! And now, without further ado, introducing...

**A Shoulder to Cry On**

By sparkleshine101

Disclaimer: I don't own Hamtaro, any of the Hamtaro characters, or anything related to the show. I only own the tapes of the episodes that I taped of my TV. Anything in this story that is similar to something already in existance is purely coincidental, and unintentional. Now on with the story!

* * *

**Chapter 1: Chaos in Aisle 12**

It was a warm Saturday morning, and the sun had long since risen by the time the small, tiger-striped hamster, known as Sandy, began to wake up. Sandy smiled as she remembered the dream she had been having. It had been about a certain tall, brown hamster. She blushed at the thought of Maxwell, and couldn't wait to visit him at the clubhouse as soon as her owner Hillary left the apartment. But that didn't seem like it would happen anytime soon; Hillary didn't have work this weekend, and was reading the newspaper at the kitchen table. As she turned the page, a large advertisement caught her eye, and she began to read it out loud.

"Need food, toys, or other supplies for your pet? Pete's Pet Palace has it all! It's the largest, cheapest, and best pet superstore in town! Bring your pets to the grand opening on Saturday, June 18th for a chance for you and your pets to meet Dr. Lion: pet expert extraordinaire!"

Below the advertisement was a map of the town, and where the pet superstore was located. Hillary set her newspaper down on the table, and then glanced from the ad to the empty food dish in the hamster cage. She walked across the room, and took Sandy out of her cage. She looked down at her hamster and smiled, "Well Sandy, it looks like we're going shopping!"

Sandy sighed in disappointment as Hillary placed her into her travel carrier. "_I guess I won't be seeing my friends today after all_," she thought.

Several minutes later, the pair had left Hillary's apartment, and were walking through town. As Hillary paced through the marketplace, Sandy took in the sights all around her. She was looking for the stores where some of her friends lived, hoping to see a familiar face. They soon passed by the eyeglass store where Dexter lived, the convenience store where Howdy lived, and the stationary store where Cappy lived. Just as she was beginning to wonder where exactly this "Pete's Pet Palace" was located, she noticed that they were passing by the bookstore where Maxwell lived. Sandy once again became lost in her thoughts of the book-loving hamster, when Hillary stopped walking. Sandy looked around, and then she saw it: the pet store. It was a large, white building; much bigger than all the stores surrounding it. The windows were covered with brightly coloured posters that had pictures of various pets on them. Above the automatic doors, in big red letters, were the words "Pete's Pet Palace".

"Well, this is the place!" Hillary said brightly, and with that, she walked in.

The inside of Pete's Pet Palace was even bigger than the outside. There were aisles upon aisles all the way down one length of the store. Hillary began walking down the aisle marked "Aisle 12", the one with a hamster picture on the sign, and was intrigued with what she saw. The shelves were stocked with every type of hamster supply imaginable! She continued walking with a steady pace, gazing at the interesting hamster gadgets stored on the walls around her. Before she knew what happened, _Crash,_ she collided with another customer. The victim managed to maintain his balance, however, Hillary was not so lucky, and fell to the floor, dropping Sandy's carrier on the way down.

The customer put down his own hamster's carrier and quickly walked over to Hillary and reached out his hand. "You okay?" (A/N: is this starting to sound familiar to you? This part is "borrowed" from a certain episode of Hamtaro! Can you figure out which one? See my notes at the bottom later.)

"Yeah, I'm alright," Hillary said as she looked up. As soon as she saw his face, she had to do a double take. This guy was absolutely adorable! He had slightly shaggy, chestnut brown hair that fell just past his ears, and his eyes, a gorgeous shade of blue, were framed by a small pair of glasses. And best of all, he looked around her age - 18 or 19. Hillary gladly accepted his gesture of help, and he pulled her up off the ground. "I-I'm r-really sorry about t-that... I wasn't really looking w-where I was g-going," she managed to say.

"No, it's my fault, I wasn't paying attention either." He said, taking half of the blame. "Now you're sure you're alright?"

Hillary's cheeks turned pink, and she nodded. "Don't worry about me," she said. She was nervous, but this was the perfect opportunity to ask him. She just decided to go for it, "...err... I didn't happen to uh... catch your name."

The guy smiled a smile amazing enough to make any girl melt, and said, "The name's Jake, and you are?"

"I'm Hillary, nice to meet ya!" she said enthusiastically, still trying to rid her cheeks of the pink. Jake smiled again, and then noticed Sandy's carrier on the floor, where Hillary had dropped it. He picked it up, and handed it to Hillary. "I believe this belongs to you."

Hillary nodded. "This is my hamster, Sandy," she said as she took Sandy out of the carrier.

"Hey, I've got a hamster too!" Jake said, as he patted Sandy on her head. "One second okay?"

Sandy watched with interest as the male human walked over to the hamster carrier several steps away. "_I don't think I've ever seen this guy before_," she thought. "_Yet something about him seems, like so familiar... But I just can't, like, put my paw on it... And I wonder who his hamster is... hmm..._" Jake stood up, his hamster securely in the palms of his hands, and walked back to Hillary and Sandy. Sandy's jaw dropped when she saw the hamster that Jake was carrying. It was Maxwell.

* * *

Well, that concludes Chapter 1! I hope everyone liked it! Please rate and review it! Now, before I sign off, I have just a few notes... 

1. I made up the name "Pete's Pet Palace". Interesting name, no? I don't think it already exists...

2. I have no idea who Maxwell's real owner is. All I know is that he is the eldest son of a bookstore owner... Well if anyone actually knows, please let me know, but for now, he shall remain "Jake". I just like the name, that's all.

3. If you know what episode that one part of my story was from (only with different characters), tell me in your review! I'll mention all the guesses in my next chapter, and reveal the actual answer!

Well that's it for now, this is sparkleshine101, signing off! Byebye!


	2. Chapter 2: First Date

Tuesday, June 28, 2005

Wow, it's been so long since I updated! I've been soooo busy with school, homework, extra-curricular activities, etc. Well now it's summer vacation and I've had some time to write, so I hope you enjoy the next chapter! But first, a big thank you to everyone who reviewed my last chapter…

Hamgirl – Ooh thank you! And sorry about the cliffhanger… This chapter doesn't end with a cliffy, so you'll be happy!

Cindy-Ruby – lol, I didn't really update soon…

Lil'PeiceOfCrap – I just took a guess… On the Hamtaro site it says somewhere that Noel is in his first year of college of something like that, and I figured Hillary is younger than him.

Stanlover – Thanks for the reviews! I can't reveal what will happen though… You'll find out soon!

crystalgurl101 – I also have the video!

And the answer to last chapter's question is… Episode 13: "Let's Dance, Sandy!" (At the beginning)… I got the idea from that… It's one of my fave episodes! And it's funny because Maxwell helps Sandy up, and in my story Maxwell's owner helps Sandy's owner up. Good job Stanlover and crystalgurl who both got it right!

Anyways…

Disclaimer: I don't own Hamtaro, any of the Hamtaro characters, or anything related to the show. I only own the tapes of the episodes that I taped off my TV. Anything in this story that is similar to something already in existence is purely coincidental, and unintentional. I also don't own the song "Hero" by Enrique Iglesias, which is mentioned in this chapter. Now on with the story!

* * *

**Chapter 2: First Date**

For a few moments, Sandy just stared in disbelief at the hamster in Jake's hands. She rubbed her eyes, unsure if it was really him, or if she was dreaming. Maxwell was obviously just as surprised to see Sandy, judging by the expression on his face.

Jake walked up to Hillary and brought his hands closer to hers so that the hamsters could interact. "Maxwell, meet Sandy. Sandy, meet Maxwell," Jake said in a joking voice that made Hillary smile.

Although Maxwell hesitated for a moment, Sandy had already jumped over to Jake's hands and embraced Maxwell in a big bear hug (A/N – What else would you call it? A gerbil hug? Lol!) "I'm like so glad to see you!" Sandy told him, hugging Maxwell tighter than ever.

After finally being released, Maxwell caught his breath and said, "I'm happy to see you too, but next time can you hug a little less tightly? You're stronger than you think, you know."

"Sure thing Maxy," Sandy said through giggles.

Meanwhile, Hillary and Jake were caught up in conversation about their hamsters. Jake found their actions to be quite amusing, and began to laugh. He had the cutest laugh Hillary had ever heard, and before she knew it, she was laughing along with him.

"I've never seen hamsters act this way before, especially when they've just met," Hillary said, still watching the hamster couple.

'Yeah, same here," Jake started. "Maxwell is never this friendly with other hamsters. He must really like your hamster already." Hillary smiled at Jake and nodded, as he continued. "Um, Hillary, were you by chance planning to take your hamster to Dr. Lion today?"

"I sure was, why?" Hillary asked, although she almost knew what he was going to say next.

"Well I thought that maybe we could, you know, go there together. Since our hamsters seem to be getting along so well and all."

Although Hillary was smiling on the outside, she was jumping for joy on the inside, overjoyed with Jake's request. "That sounds good to me, let's go!" Hillary replied. "And you can put Maxwell in Sandy's carrier if you want."

After Jake carefully placed both hamsters in the carrier Hillary was still holding, the two of them began to walk down the aisle (A/N it sounds like they're getting married! Lol! But I'm talking about the store aisle of course). A long lineup of people became visible to them, and the pair took a spot at the end of the line. "There sure are a lot of people here," Jake observed.

Hillary nodded; glad that she would get more time to talk to Jake. "Well I guess we'll be here for awhile… Why don't you tell me a bit about yourself Jake?" As soon as the words came out of her mouth, Hillary wished she could take them back. _"Oh man, why did I say that? It sounded so lame. Now Jake is going to thing I'm some boy-crazy stalker or something. Maybe he didn't hear it… Oh but what if he did?"_

Jake, however, had already started to tell Hillary his entire life story – well, almost. Hillary soon learned that Jake had two younger brothers, and that his family owned a bookstore. She also found out that he loves to read, and that he has a passion for poetry. Soon, Hillary found herself gaining confidence and sharing all her interests with Jake as well. Before they knew it, they had reached the front of the line.

"Next!" The pair heard a voice from behind a door call. When Jake and Hillary entered the room, they found themselves inside a miniature veterinarian's office. There was only a bit of equipment in Dr. Lion's temporary office, but what he had was still quite impressive. Dr. Lion finished with the note he was writing, and looked up from his chair to face Jake and Hillary. "Hello there. Welcome to my office."

"Hi, I'm Jake, and this is my friend Hillary, and we brought along our hamsters Sandy and Maxwell," Jake said, indicating the hamster carrier that Hillary was holding. Hillary stepped up to Dr. Lion's desk and placed the carrier down. Dr. Lion opened it, removed one hamster at a time, performing a routine check-up. He made a few notes, then turned to Jake and Hillary again.

"You two will be glad to know that your hamsters are happy and healthy," Dr. Lion told them. "There appears to be a strong bond between these two hamsters like I've never seen before," Dr. Lion began, as the hamsters knowingly looked up at him. Jake and Hillary listened intently as he continued. "I think it's important that you keep them near each other, you never know what consequences will arise from separation."

Hillary was absolutely confused about what she was hearing. "There must be some misunderstanding; we actually just met like an hour–"

Dr. Lion interrupted before Hillary could finish, "But that shouldn't be too much trouble for you and your boyfriend, should it?"

Hillary and Jake glanced shyly towards each other. As soon as their eyes met they quickly turned away, trying to hide the blush on their cheeks. Dr. Lion watched and smiled.

- - - - - - - - - - -

After leaving Dr. Lion's office, Jake and Hillary headed towards the cash registers together, without saying a word. Hillary couldn't forget what Dr. Lion had said to them; he thought they were a couple. Hillary noticed that Jake was trying to avoid eye contact, suddenly becoming shy and quiet. She figured that Jake was probably offended by that comment, and she silently held back her feelings of disappointment. After leaving the store together, they stopped at a bench to put Maxwell back into his carrier. Jake's eyes finally met Hillary's once again, but this time he gave her a warm smile.

"I… I had a really great time shopping with you," Jake began. "And I'd really like to get to know you better."

Hillary was stunned, but smiled at the thought. "Me too," she replied softly.

"I was planning on going to the Moonlight Nightclub tonight, and I was hoping that you'd like to come with me," Jake said, appearing to have regained his confidence.

Hillary was overjoyed. Not only was she going to go to the new nightclub that she was dying to go to, but she would be going there on a date with one of the cutest and sweetest guys she ever met! "Yeah, I'd really like that, it sounds awesome."

The two of them exchanged phone numbers and made plans to meet at the Moonlight Nightclub at 8:00 that night. They said their goodbyes and went their separate ways to prepare for the evening.

- - - - - - - - - -

Later that evening, Hillary stood in front of her bathroom mirror, fixing herself up. She put the finishing touches on her makeup by gently sweeping a mascara wand across her eyelashes. She looked at her reflection and frowned – something just wasn't right. She decided that it was her hair that wasn't working out, so she pulled it down from its usual ponytail, letting the wavy ends hang freely, framing her face. Hillary walked to the kitchen and checked the clock, which read 7:50. "Oh no I'm gonna be late!" She cried, to no one in particular. She grabbed her keys and dashed out the door; she was going to have to run if she was going to meet Jake downtown for 8:00.

It was ladies' night at the Moonlight Nightclub, so Hillary got in for free. She checked her cell phone for the time, learning that she was only a few minutes late. As she was putting her cell away, she accidentally bumped into someone.

The guy, who walked right into Hillary, began to apologize, "Sorry about that, I wasn't watching where I was… Hillary!"

Hillary was surprised to have run into Noel at the Moonlight Nightclub, and she gave him a big hug. Noel and Hillary met when they were kids, and became best friends when theywere inhigh school. Though Noel was a year older and already in college, the two of them were still very close. Noel blushed from the hug; he had the biggest crush on Hillary for over a year, and still couldn't bring up the courage to tell her. He looked into her eyes and asked, "So… what are you doing here tonight?"

"I was just about to ask you the same thing!" Hillary replied brightly. "I'm here with… my friend," she answered carefully, knowing how protective Noel was when it came to her potential boyfriends. He was like a big brother, always watching out for her.

"Yeah, me too," said Noel, indicating a group of his friends who were chatting off to the side.

Just then, Hillary remembered that she was supposed to be looking for Jake. "Oh, I actually better be heading off right now. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

Noel smiled and nodded in agreement. "Yeah, bye for now," he said, then walked off to join his friends.

Hillary, who was left standing alone, looked around the nightclub for Jake, who was nowhere in sight. She began feeling more and more uncomfortable, and was almost ready to leave when someone tapped her on the shoulder. She spun around, only to come face to face with Jake. She smiled; he was looking cuter than ever tonight. "Hey there," she said softly.

"Wow, you look…" Jake paused for a second, trying to find the perfect word. "Amazing," he finished.

Hillary smiled and blushed at the comment. "Thanks. You look awesome too."

"So, do you want to dance?" Jake questioned.

"Well, that's what we're here for, aren't we?" Hillary replied, gaining more confidence.

Jake laughed and led the way to the dance floor, where the two began to dance the night away.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the club, Noel and his friends were sipping their drinks and sharing a plate of fries. Noel sighed as he heard a dance remix of "Hero" by Enrique Iglesias playing from the speakers. _"This is Hillary's favourite song,"_ he thought, as he scanned the dance floor for Hillary and her "friend."

"This is my favourite song!" Hillary shouted over the music to Jake. Jake stopped dancing and looked into Hillary's eyes. "Is something wrong?" Hillary asked as she too stopped dancing.

_I can be your hero baby._

_I can kiss away the pain._

_I will stand by you forever._

_You can take my breath away._

Jake reached over and gently brushed a loose strand of Hillary's hair behindher ear. He took a step forward, and they both leaned towards each other for a kiss. They parted, and smiled at each other, both feeling a little lightheaded. Hillary wrapped her arms around Jake's neck, and the two of them continued to dance.

Noel couldn't believe what he was seeing. His heart broke as he watched Hillary kiss Jake. Oh, how he wished he could hold her in his arms and never let go. He felt a lump form in his throat as he tried to hold back tears; he couldn't bear to watch any longer.

"Yo Noel, you okay? You're awfully quiet tonight," Noel's friend Mark commented.

"Yeah, I'm fine, my head hurts, that's all," He replied. "I think I'm gonna go home though. See ya guys." Before anyone had a chance to stop him, Noel was already making his way towards the door. As he saw Hillary lock lips with Jake again, he turned away, and with a heavy heart, he made his way out the door, towards his apartment.

* * *

Well, there you have it, Chapter 2 is complete! Took me long enough too… It's June 28th and I started this chapter on May 29th! I'm so slow! But you can't blame me, I had exams and all. I'll try my hardest to get Chapter 3 written and updated quickly! 

By the way, I made up the Moonlight Nightclub, so I hope that name doesn't exist already. And I've never been to a nightclub so I have no idea what one looks like or what food they have (do they even have food?) so don't mind me if there are any kind of errors like that.

Also don't mind the fact that Hillary crashes into someone twice in one day (lol, she's clumsy!) and that everyone is always smiling at everyone else. I like happy people.

I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Review and let me know what you think!


	3. Chapter 3: Jealousy Revealed

Tuesday, July 12, 2005

Oh look at that, I updated sooner than last time! I'm so proud! And I know it took me a long time (again) but I'm getting better at this writing thing. I think the main mistake I made from the start was not planning out my story (doi! slaps forehead). Well the ideas are flowing and although the chapter is short, the story is getting better (I hope). And yay, more hamsters are introduced!

A big thanks to all of my wonderful reviewers, you're all so inspiring!

Lil'PeiceOfCrap – Thanks! I know I took long, but I definitely improved my speed this time!

MS3TK Forever – Thanks so much! I hope you'll keep reading!

InspiredByMiyazaki – Ooh thanks! I really appreciate all your comments! It's great motivation! I'm glad I'm able to keep characters in character (I'm surprised I was able to do so!) Let's hope I can keep it that way!

crystalgurl101 – It's one of my favourite songs! No Hillary/Jake interaction in this chapter (it's kinda mentioned…) But I promise more in the next chappie!

Disclaimer: I don't own Hamtaro, any of the Hamtaro characters, or anything related to the show. Anything in this story that is similar to something already in existence is purely coincidental, and unintentional. Now sit back, relax, and enjoy Chapter 3!

* * *

**Chapter 3: Jealousy Revealed**

Stan lay asleep in his cage, dreaming peacefully about what else? - girls. He awoke suddenly to the loud slam of a door. He looked up just in time to see Noel storming towards his bedroom. "_Whoa, what's up with Noel?_" Stan wondered. Though slightly concerned, he shrugged it off and returned to his slumber.

- - - - - - - - - -

The next day at the Ham-ham Clubhouse, Sandy was busy telling the other girl hamsters the details about Hillary's date with Jake. "Then, he walked her to the door, and like kissed her good-night," Sandy said, recalling what Hillary said to her the night before. Sounds of "awww" and "that's so sweet" were heard among the group, until Sandy took control, once again. "AND that's not all…" She told them, pausing for emphasis.

"Go on," Bijou, Pashmina and Penelope urged her, eager to find out more.

"Hillary's seeing him again tonight. Jake is cooking dinner and renting a movie, and Hillary is bringing me over so I can like spend some more time with Maxwell," Sandy explained, smiling especially at the last part.

"Ooh, that sounds so romantic! I'm so happy for both you and Hillary," Pashmina commented.

"Ookwee," Penelope said, which Pashmina quickly translated to mean "me too."

All eyes turned to Bijou, who was suddenly very quiet. "Well it's just that… their relationship is moving rather quickly, don't you think?"

Sandy was taken aback by the French ham's comments, and was unsure of what to say. "Well, I guess you could say that… But they're like the cutest and best couple I've ever seen, so I don't think you need to worry," she said, trying to reassure both her friends and herself.

"If you say so," Bijou replied, somewhat uncertainly.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the clubhouse, Maxwell was having a similar conversation with some of the boy hamsters. Stan, who was caught up in a daydream, suddenly became interested when the name "Hillary" was mentioned.

"Hold up and rewind… Are you talkin' about Hillary…Sandy's owner Hillary?" Stan asked, interrupting Maxwell's explanation.

"Err, yeah… why?" Maxwell responded, still in shock at Stan's sudden outburst.

"Umm no reason… Anyways gotta go, see ya!" Stan replied, suddenly running out the door.

"Well that was… odd," Maxwell stated, but continued the conversation about Jake and Hillary.

- - - - - - - - - -

Stan left the clubhouse just in time; he returned to his cage just as Noel walked through the door. "_He sure doesn't look very happy_" Stan thought as he watched Noel collapse into the chair next to Stan's cage.

"I… I don't believe it… how can she be doing this?" Noel mumbled.

"Who's doing what now? Details Noel I need details!" Stan said impatiently, gripping the bars of his cage. Of course, Noel obviously could not hear him.

Noel rested his head in his hands. "Hillary's going out with that guy again. Apparently this 'Jake' is 'really interesting and funny'," he said, with extra resentment at that last part. "Hillary talks non-stop about him - what's so great about Jake anyways? What does he have that I don't have?"

"_The courage to ask her out maybe?_" Stan thought, somewhat cynically. _"Noel, Noel, Noel, that's the problem: you missed your chance, and now you're jealous."_

"I guess you could say I'm jealous…"

"_Told ya!"_ thought Stan.

"But I just wish things were the way they were before… But there's nothing I can do about it!"

"_Or is there? Maybe you can't do anything, but I can... AndI have an idea already!"_

* * *

I know, short right? You can't say I didn't warn you though. And I really hope you enjoyed Chapter 3. The next chapter will be much better, just wait and see! It focuses on Hillary and Jake/Sandy and Maxwell's dates… and you'll get to see what Stan's idea is, since I left it at a bit of a cliffhanger. Exciting! Until next time, byeee! 


	4. Chapter 4: A Disastrous Date

Friday, July 22, 2005

I'm back, with my longest (and perhaps best) chapter yet! This chapter focuses mainly on Stan's crazy plan, with a few S/M scenes! First, thanks to my lovely reviewers…

Crystalgurl101 – You'll find out in this chapter!

JMS-Hamham – Well I can't tell you if you're right… you'll find out soon though (not in this chapter though)

InspiredByMiyazaki – glad you liked it so much! And, as promised, there are a bunch of S/M scenes this chapter!

MST3K Forever – Thanks, you'll be happy to know this chapter is four times longer than the previous one!

Disclaimer: I don't own Hamtaro, any of the Hamtaro characters, or anything related to the show. Anything in this story that is similar to something already in existence is purely coincidental, and unintentional. I did make up the characters Jake and Jason (you'll find out who he is soon). Yay, time for chapter four!

* * *

**Chapter 4: A Disastrous Date**

That evening, Noel went to a basketball game with some of his friends, leaving Stan alone to put his plan into action. He had already gone across the street to Hillary's apartment, where he was hiding outside the door, waiting to follow her to Jake's house. As he waited for Hillary to step outside, he went over the details of his plan in his head. Once he got to Jake's house, he'd attempt to crash Hillary and Jake's date, using whatever means necessary.

"_With my brilliant, foolproof plan, those two are sooo gonna be broken up by the end of the night,"_ Stan thought, a smirk appearing on his face. Stan backed up against the wall next to the door as soon as he heard footsteps getting louder from inside Hillary's apartment. He watched as Hillary locked the door behind her, and headed down the hall with Sandy's carrier in hand. Then, he carefully followed the two of them, keeping his distance to ensure he would not be seen.

As Sandy looked out at the city from her carrier, she felt a little strange – almost as if someone was following her and Hillary. But the few people who were on the street seemed to be preoccupied and minding their own business, so she just ignored the feeling, looking at the passing scenery once again. Meanwhile, Stan was hiding behind a garbage can, hoping that his sister was nearsighted and didn't see him following. His ears perked up at the sound of a soda can that bounced off the rim of the garbage can and fell to the ground, narrowly missing him. "Hey! Watch where you're throwing that!" He called out in annoyance at the passing pedestrians. "Oh right - Hillary!" he remembered, and ran as fast as he could to catch up.

Jake's house was just a few minutes away from the bookstore his family owned. It was located just outside the city, in a small neighborhood. Stan followed Hillary up the path towards the quaint white house, and quickly scurried past Jake as soon as he got through the door. Sandy was almost certain that she saw a small flash of orange run into the house, but once again, she ignored it, since Jake was already leading the way inside.

Hillary was led to the kitchen, where the wonderful aroma of pasta filled the air. "Mmm the food smells so good," she told Jake. "How did you know pasta's my favourite food?"

"Lucky guess," Jake said with a smile, and before Hillary knew it, he had embraced her in a passionate kiss.

"Get a room will ya? You're grossing me out here," said a voice from behind the couple. Hillary and Jake spun around to see a boy, around 8 years old, standing at the kitchen's entrance.

"That's my little brother Jason, and yes, he's always this annoying," Jake whispered to Hillary.

"Hey I heard that!" Jason said in annoyance, putting his hands on his hips.

"Don't you have somewhere to be?" said Jake, losing his patience.

"Well I _did_, but then I decided that I'd rather bug you than help out at the bookstore," Jason replied, a devious smirk on his face.

"Then I guess you won't care if I do… this!" Jake turned to Hillary and pulled her into another fiery kiss.

"Okay, okay! I'm going, I'm going!" Jason said, backing away and running out the door.

"That was clever," Hillary said, stopping the kiss. "You didn't tell me that I would be meeting your family tonight."

"Sorry about that," Jake said, somewhat embarrassed. "It won't happen again, everyone's out of the house now."

"Don't worry about it," Hillary reassured him. "But now would be a good time for that dinner, I'm getting hungry!"

Jake laughed. "Good idea. I'm starving!"

As Jake prepared the table, Hillary put Sandy into Maxwell's cage in the living room. She refilled the food dish and water bottle, and then went to join Jake for their romantic candlelight dinner.

"Hey there," Sandy said, walking over to Maxwell and giving him a quick peck on the cheek. She took a sunflower seed for herself, then looked over at Hillary and Jake, who were talking, laughing, and enjoying their meal. Sandy sighed happily, "Aren't they like the cutest couple ever?"

"No," Maxwell said simply. Sandy was about to object, but he put a finger to her mouth to stop her, then continued. "We are… But they're a close second," he finished with a grin. Sandy laughed, and both hamsters helped themselves to more sunflower seeds, starting a romantic dinner of their own.

Both couples were so caught up in their meals that they didn't notice the tiger-striped hamster that was running across the kitchen towards the table, where Hillary and Jake were sitting. "Time to put my plan into action," he thought, climbing up the leg of the table. When he reached the top, Stan moved quickly and discretely, eyeing the couple to make sure he wouldn't be seen. He found his target and ran towards it. In one swift motion, Hillary's glass was knocked over, and cola was spilling all over the table. Meanwhile, Stan had landed safely below the table, silently cheering for himself.

"Oh no! I'm so sorry! I can't believe I'm so clumsy!" Hillary said, thinking that she was the one who knocked the glass over.

"Don't worry about it," Jake reassured her, while wiping the mess with his napkin.

"_How could that not work? Jake didn't even seem to care! But this'll work for sure…"_ Stan thought, pulling on a corner of the long table cloth. The dishes on the table suddenly all fell to the floor, with a loud crash. Glass shattered and spaghetti was strewn everywhere. Hillary stared at the mess in shock; this couldn't be happening. Jake had a similar look on his face, he had no idea what could have caused the entire contents of the table to fall right off.

"Err… this is my fault, I must have pulled at the table cloth too hard," Jake said, still perplexed. "Why don't we… move to the living room for the movie?" He suggested, clearly trying to avoid the disaster-prone kitchen.

"Good idea," Hillary replied, relieved. At least nothing would happen while they were sitting down for a movie – or so she thought; Stan was already hiding under the couch, ready to make his next move.

Jake set up the movie, dimmed the lights, and joined Hillary on the couch with a bowl of popcorn. He put his arm around her shoulder, and they cuddled together to watch the movie.

In their cage, Sandy and Maxwell were also enjoying the movie. "Do you want to move a bit closer?" Maxwell asked.

"Of course Maxy," Sandy replied, sliding closer to her boyham and snuggling up to his arm. "You don't have to ask like each time you know."

"Oh I know, but I was talking about moving closer to the TV. It's hard to see." Maxwell told her gently.

Sandy laughed at her mistake and took Maxwell by the paw. "Yeah, let's go." The two of them quietly snuck out of the cage and took a seat on the floor near Hillary and Jake. They leaned up against each other and shared a piece of popcorn that had landed on the floor near them.

Stan was getting bored, and decided it was a good time to try another of his plans. He had spent plenty of time thinking, and had finally decided that his best bet would be to mess with the TV. No TV equals a boring date, which equals abreakup… Or so he thought. Somehow, Stan managed to sneak past the unsuspecting couples, and ended up behind the TV. _"All I need to do is pull out the plug and… oh crap."_ Stan found himself surrounded by cables, each leading in a different direction. He had no idea which one could possibly control the TV. He tugged at a cable randomly, and the light next to the TV went out.

"What was… oh, the light must have burned out," said Jake, taken by surprise.

"_Ok, that didn't work,"_ thought Stan, and he began pulling on another cable, which didn't do anything. _"Well that was_ _pointless."_ Beginning to get frustrated, he pulled on another cable as hard as he could. The plug flew out of the outlet, sending Stan straight into the back of the television. "Owww," he moaned as he stood up from within another pile of cables, rubbing the back of his head.

"Um Jake, your clock stopped working…" Hillary said.

"Uh, don't worry about it," Jake replied. _"What's up with the power today?"_ he thought, annoyed that their date was constantly being interrupted.

"Damnit, wrong one again!" Stan said a little too loudly. As soon as he realized his mistake he put his paw over his mouth, trying not to make any more noise.

"Did you hear something?" Sandy asked.

Maxwell looked at her questioningly. "It must have been the movie."

Sandy frowned slightly. She was sure she had heard a familiar voice, and there was no way she was going to ignore it. But Maxwell's arm around her was so warm and so comfortable; she just didn't want to move. "You're probably right," she said, gazing into his gorgeous brown eyes. They leaned towards each other for a kiss, and Sandy immediately forgot about the noise she heard.

"_That was close,"_ Stan thought, as he made his way towards the empty cage and carrier on the other side of the room. _"But now I need a new plan."_ He had already used up all of his good ideas and hadn't taken the time to think up any more, since he thought that Jake and Hillary would be broken up by now. There was, however, one thing he hadn't tried. _"I guess I could… no, that would be too risky, I'd get caught for sure…"_ Stan sat down, leaning against Sandy's carrier, still deep in thought. He noticed one of her spare tail ribbons hanging out of the carrier, and pulled it out, twirling it around in his paws. _"It was such a good plan though… If only I could disguise myself…"_ Stan glanced down at the red ribbon he was holding, and a look of inspiration flashed in his eyes. "Ohh I so don't wanna do this," Stan said to himself, appalled by his own thoughts.

The words "whatever means necessary" repeated themselves over and over in Stan's head. If he had any chance of breaking up Hillary and Jake, this was it, and he could either take it or leave it. _"I'm so gonna regret this… but it's the only way,"_ Stan thought, tying the red ribbon tightly around his own tail, forming a bow. "This is gonna be quick and easy," he said, making his way towards the couch.

With the addition of the tail ribbon, Stan looked almost identical to his twin sister. Not that he didn't already, of course – but it was the ribbon that would make Hillary and Jake think that everything was Sandy's fault. After that, Jake would break up with Hillary for sure.

"Time to make my move," Stan said quietly to himself, watching the couple on the couch. They were gazing into each other's eyes and caressing each other's faces, ready to kiss. Stan climbed up the side of the couch and immediately pounced on Jake. The couple, taken by surprise, moved away from each other as "Sandy" proceeded to claw away at Jake's face.

"Oh no, Jake! Sandy STOP IT!" cried Hillary, panicking.

Sandy and Maxwell, who were in the middle of a make-out session, looked up in alarm. "You think she saw us?" Sandy asked nervously. Maxwell, at a loss for words, merely pointed up at the scene still taking place on the couch. Sandy immediately recognized the striped hamster as her brother. "Stan!" she said angrily, under her breath.

"Let's go back to the cage, before they see us," Maxwell suggested, taking Sandy's paw and leading her back to his cage. They hid in Maxwell's hamster house as they watched Jake carrying Stan towards the cage.

"You're a feisty one, aren't ya?" Jake said, patting "Sandy" on the head, only to have his hand bitten in return. "Ow! Well there ya go," he continued, placing the tiger-striped hamster in Maxwell's cage, ensuring that the door was closed tightly.

"Oh Jake I'm so sorry! Are you okay?" Hillary asked anxiously, rubbing Jake's hand.

"It's alright, I'm fine," Jake replied, though Hillary was not completely reassured. "Now, where were we?" This made Hillary feel better,so the pair sat down and continued watching the movie.

Stan was disappointed that his most creative idea failed him. "Damn, those two are inseparable," he said to himself. He turned around to see Sandy pushing Maxwell aside and heading towards Stan, a heated expression on her face. "Oh hey sis, funny seeing you here," Stan said nervously. He backed away from his sister, knowing he was sooo busted.

"You are like sooo dead Stan," Sandy said, glaring at her brother.

"I… um… gotta go!" And with that, Stan dashed out of the cage, not looking back.

"Don't think I won't go after you!" Sandy yelled, but was stopped by Maxwell. "I can't believe he did that! He's trying to break them up you know!" She said bitterly.

"Shhh, it's okay," Maxwell comforted, stroking Sandy's fur.

"But…"

"Just look at them, they're happy together," Maxwell said, indicating the couple. "And nothing your brother does can change that."

"I guess you're right," Sandy said, finally calming down. "You always know what to say."

Maxwell smiled, and the two hamsters snuggled together to watch the rest of the movie in peace.

- - - - - - - - - -

Stan had run far away from Jake's house before he felt it was safe to walk. He was now in the comfort of his own cage, but was still worried that Sandy would be coming after him. He couldn't really blame her for being angry, his plan _was_ pretty bad. He looked over at Noel, who was asleep on the couch. "I'm sorry Noel, nothing I did could break them up. I guess you're on your own, dude." And with that, Stan curled up in the woodchips and went to sleep.

* * *

Soooo did you like it? I really hope I kept the characters in character this time! It was hard, since I focused a lot on Stan's thoughts. Also, please let me know if the rating is appropriate, I wasn't quite sure considering the minor language Stan used. 

P.S. Microsoft Word told me I wrote this for a grade 5.7 reading level… It's disappointing, since I write stuff for school at like a grade 11 or 12 level. But really it means that a 5th grader can understand it, so I guess that's good. Ah well, I'm off to write chapter five now!


	5. Chapter 5:Confrontation at the Clubhouse

Thursday, July 28, 2005

My updates are getting faster and faster! Technically I would have updated yesterday if was typing this story on the computer, but I hand-wrote it this time. Surprisingly it was really effective, but I added A LOT to it when I typed it up. It's my second-longest chapter so far, so I really hope you enjoy it! But first off, a BIG thank you to everyone who reviewed my last chapter…

InspiredByMiyazaki – Thanks soooo much! Your comments reallllllyyyy inspired me to write more! And believe me, your writing is definitely NOT kindergarten level!

JMS-Hamham – Hey I just realized that too! I didn't even think of that before! Glad you liked it!

Yayfulness – Thanks! And voila, an update!

Lil'PieceOfCrap – Here's chapter 5! It **would** be funny to see a hamster to this stuff!

hockeygirlrain – I'm updating!

crystalgurl101 – Yes, Stan's verrrryy sneaky. He kind of has another plan in this chapter… But it's not as drastic and you'll see the outcome of it before the end!

AprilChikatow – Thanks! I work hard to keep my spelling and grammar mistakes to a minimum. I do let some slip though… And my word-processing program found TONS of grammar mistakes in this chapter, all of which I clicked "ignore" for, since I really can't change them without making it sound all formal and stuff. I don't think they're noticeable though! And congrats, you're right about the episode from chapter one!

Disclaimer: I don't own Hamtaro, any of the Hamtaro characters, or anything related to the show. Anything in this story that is similar to something already in existence is purely coincidental, and unintentional. This chapter only has hamsters in it (finally!) There's a teeny bit of violence in this chapter (well, the title kind of implies that…) so be prepared. That was a warning, but really, it's not that bad, trust me. Anyways, on with the chapter!

* * *

**Chapter 5: Confrontation at the Clubhouse**

Stan woke up the next day feeling especially groggy; he had been up half the night wondering what on Earth he was going to do about the pickle he had gotten himself into. At first, he thought the best thing to do would be to go to the clubhouse, ready to beg Sandy for forgiveness. However, in the back of his mind he heard her words echoing over and over, _"You are like sooo dead Stan!"_ Once again, he saw Sandy glaring at him, as if she was ashamed to be related to him. Stan definitely did not want to come face-to-face with an angry Sandy; he didn't even want to think about what would happen to him if he did. This led him to think of another possibility: he could avoid the clubhouse for a few days, which would give Sandy some time to cool off, and perhaps become more forgiving. Though it seemed like a good idea in theory, Stan figured that his twin sister might only become angrier by the minute, and even if he stayed home, she would know exactly where to find him. Stan shuddered at this thought.

"_Maybe it'd be best to just get this over with,"_ Stan thought, knowing that no matter what he did, he couldn't run from his problems forever, and sooner or later he'd have to face the consequences. _"At least all the Ham-hams_ _will be there, and they would never let me get too hurt… I hope."_ Inspiration suddenly came to him. "That's it! The others can help me!" Stan said aloud, delighted by his new idea. _This_ plan would definitely be foolproof. There was still time for him to get to the clubhouse early enough to tell everyone _his_ side of the story. He was hoping that they would all understand that his intentions were good, and that they would help him convince Sandy of this.

Stan sprinted towards the clubhouse; though he knew for a fact that Sandy never made it to the clubhouse early in the morning, he needed all the time he could get. After all, he had quite a story to tell, not to mention a tough crowd to persuade. He could just picture it: Boss, the leader of the group, would be laughing his head off, while the girls would be shaking their heads disapprovingly at Stan. Stan shook this thought out of his head. _"I just have to calm down andthink positive; it'll all be okay… they'll understand…"_

Stan was not too sure of himself, but he continued running. When he arrived at the clubhouse, he looked around for a familiar face. He spotted Maxwell reading a book underneath a nearby tree and quickly hurried over to him. "Max, you gotta come inside right now," Stan said nearly out of breath. "Come on dude, quickly!" He added, noticing that Maxwell was clearly not in any rush at all.

Maxwell looked up from his book. "What's the rush… err… _dude_?" he asked Stan, a bemused expression on his face.

"Gotta… explain… before…" Stan was still trying to catch his breath. _"Man I really gotta start working out,"_ he thought.

"Look Stan, I'm not mad at you," Maxwell began.

"You… you're not?" Stan asked. He was a little surprised, but at least _someone_ was on his side.

"Well, normally I would be, but you didn't really cause any harm, Jake and Hillary are happy as ever thanks to your antics." Stan let out a sigh of relief. He wasn't exactly thrilled to hear about the 'happy couple,' but he knew that no one could really be too mad at him now. However, Maxwell continued. "Sandy, on the other hand, doesn't exactly feel the same way."

Stan's fears suddenly came back to him. "She… doesn't?" He asked nervously, hoping that he might have heard wrong. Maxwell shook his head, but gave Stan a slightly sympathetic look. "Come on Max, can't you help me out here?" Maxwell glanced to the side uncomfortably. "There's gotta be something you can do…" Stan was practically begging now, failing to notice that Maxwell was inching away slowly. "You know, put in a good word for me so she won't think that I'm…"

"…A total moron?" A voice from behind Stan asked.

"Exactly... wait!" Stan spun around slowly, afraid to find out who was standing there. Lo and behold, his sister was standing right in front of him; arms crossed and a fierce look in her eyes. Stan jumped slightly; even though he recognized her voice, he hadn't expected her to look so... _angry_.

"We need to have a _little talk_," Sandy said in a vindictive voice, glaring at her brother. This was quite a contrast compared to her usual cheerful personality, and Stan immediately took notice. It was clear that Stan knew not to mess with Sandy when she was this upset.

"I… um…" Stan trailed off; going through every excuse he could think of in his head. "You know, I'd love to havethis little chat, but I think we'll have to postpone it, 'cause I'm kinda in the middle of a conversation with Max here…" Stan indicated the spot where Maxwell was sitting. Well, "_was_" is the key word here, given that Maxwell was no longer sitting there anymore.

"Well that's just too bad for you now, isn't it?" Sandy said bitterly. "We're gonna talk _now_, and don't even _think_ about running off again!"

Stan decided that it was time to face the facts; there was no way he'd be able to get out of this now. He sat down and opened his mouth to speak, but Sandy interrupted him. "Look, everyone knows that you always come up with stupid schemes, but even _I_ wouldn't have thought that you would do something like this! And I like know that you _technically _didn't ruin Jake and Hillary's relationship or anything, but you totally invaded their privacy, and mine and Max's too! That was so inconsiderate; I can't believe my brother, of all Ham-hams, would do this!"

At this point, Stan had stopped paying attention; he was distracted by the fact that Sandy could pronounce "inconsiderate," let alone know what it means.

"Are you even listening to me? Pay attention!" Sandy yelled harshly, hitting Stan on the arm.

"Hey!" Stan shouted, pushing Sandy backwards, knocking her to the ground. Stan stood there in shock for a moment; he hadn't intended on pushing his sister so hard, but instinct had suddenly taken over.By the time Stan had gone over to offer help to his sister, Sandy had already gotten to her feet and charged full-speed at Stan, tackling him to the ground. As she proceeded to punch her brother repeatedly in the arm, the anger flashed in her eyes. There was a fire burning inside her, and nothing could stop her now. Stan tried his best to stay strong, but couldn't take it any longer. "Ow, ow, OW!" he cried, trying to move away from the punches that were still flying through the air and leaving bruises on his arm. Sandy suddenly came to a realization of what she was doing, and stopped immediately.

"I… I didn't want to hurt you… I didn't mean it…" Sandy was staring wide-eyed at her brother now; having difficulty processing what had just happened. Stan was lying on the ground – dirty, bruised, and bleeding slightly – and it was all her fault. Tears were forming in Sandy's eyes as she hurried over to her brother, helping him up. She brushed some of the dirt off him, and the twins sat down together, leaning against a nearby tree. Neither twin said anything for several minutes; the two of them just sat in silence. Sandy finally spoke. "I'm really sorry, I like, don't know what came over me… it's just that, I kind of expected you to act more mature, like an older brother is supposed to!" Sandy's voice was calmer now, but it was shaky; she was trying to hold back tears.

For a moment, Stan did not know how to respond. His sister's words had really gotten to him, and everything suddenly just cameout. "I…I…I'm really sorry Sandy! I wasn't thinking! I never meant for things to turn out like this; I should have just left everything alone! I just wanted…" Sandy looked at her brother inquisitively. "…I wanted to make Noel happy." Stan braced himself, preparing for the worst (although he couldn't imagine what could possibly be worse than what he had just been through).

To Stan's surprise, Sandy stayed calm. "What are you talking about? What's Noel got to do with this?"

"You haven't noticed?"

Sandy rolled her eyes impatiently. "Do I honestly look like I noticed? If I noticed I obviously wouldn't be asking you, now would I?"

Sandy was obviously still annoyed, and Stan definitely did not want to anger his sister again, so he decided to just get to the point. He took a deep breath, and began to explain everything. "Okay, Noel has had this _huge_ crush on Hillary for like, forever, but since he's not as smooth with the ladies as I am –"

"Stan –"

"Alright, alright… Ok, basically he was too shy to do anything about it... maybe he was scared she wouldn't feel the same way and it would ruin their friendship or something like that. Anyways, he missed his chance, and now every time he even _thinks_ of Hillary and Jake – together – he gets totally depressed."

Sandy gently put her paw on her brother's shoulder. "Oh bro, I'm like so sorry… I didn't know…"

"Don't feel bad, it's not your fault. And I don't blame you for being mad, if I were you, I would have pummeled me _ages _ago… but don't go getting any ideas."

At this comment, Sandy finally smiled. She pulled Stan to his feet and hugged him tightly, making sure to release him before he stopped breathing. "I feel so bad for Noel though…I never thought that he… and Hillary is _still_ totally oblivious…and…oh, I just wish there was something we could do…" Sandy eyed her brother, noticing that he was looking especially enthusiastic at this statement. "But we can't," she added quickly. Stan was slightly disappointed, but knew that it was really for the best. Besides, Hillary used to be _his_ owner, and Stan wanted her to be happy too.

"Promise you won't do anything stupid?" Sandy asked, holding out her pinky.

Stan hesitated for a moment, but finally linked his pinky with Sandy's. "I promise." The twins smiled at each other, then headed towards the clubhouse to join the others.

* * *

I think I write way too much in my author's notes… But it's fun and adds a bit of my personality to the story. This chapter was **by far** the most fun to write, maybe because I was relaxing and watching TV while writing it, as opposed to sitting at the computer, stressing over ideas. Also, I knew that the twins were gonna have a fight right from the start, when I thought of the idea for the story, so the ideas just kind of flowed from there.

This chapter was a 5.6 grade level this time… it's gotta be because of all the dialogue! Well, the next chapter will be up as soon as I can get it up, but until then, sparkleshine101, over and out!


	6. Chapter 6: Cursed With a Cold

Friday, August 5, 2005

This chapter is again, one of my better ones! At least I think so… Here, Hillary does a lot of thinking about Jake AND Noel, and you'll get a glimpse into her childhood days (which is the part in italics… you'll know it when you get to it). I hope you all find at least part of my chapter a little bit funny... I was in a humorous mood as I was writing part of it... But if you don't, it's perfectly alright.

Before I move on to the chapter, I'd like to give a big shout-out to my amazing loyal reviewers, as well as my great new ones! Thanks guys! All your reviews mean so much to me!

Sayiangirl – Thanks, I'm really glad you like it!

MST3KForever – lol, Stan trying to stop global terrorism. That, I'd like to see. Stan _did _get off a little easy, but I didn't want him to get _too_ hurt. Anyways, thanks for all your comments!

JMS-Hamham – that's funny. Here's chapter six for you!

InspiredByMiyazaki – Yeah, after I realized how inspiring and helpful some reviews can be, I decided to start reviewing other stories! I'm glad you liked the chapter!

Crystalgurl101 – sorry to say it, but there's no hamsters in the chapter. Not even a mention of them. Shocking, I know. Next chapter there probably will be though.

Lil'PieceOfCrap – Yay, thanks so much! I hope that this next chapter also makes my story better!

Alice – I started out with lots of details, but I kind of stopped, because I figured that it's a bit distracting. But now I realized that maybe it's not so distracting, so I tried to find a balance. Thanks for all your comments, and I understand how you didn't like the fighting. Then again, the ham-hams probably wouldn't do half the stuff in my story, lol!

Disclaimer: I don't own Hamtaro, any of the Hamtaro characters, or anything related to the show. Anything in this story that is similar to something already in existence is purely coincidental, and unintentional. A quick note in case some readers don't know: baby's breath is the white stuff that comes in a bouquet of flowers. I don't really know how to describe it, so hopefully everyone knows what it is! It's kinda important later in the chapter. Oh, and please don't laugh at my poetry! (Once again, you'll know it when you get to it!) Yes, I did write it!

* * *

**Chapter 6: Cursed With a Cold**

"Ah-choo!" Hillary sneezed for about the hundredth time that day. She reached for a tissue off the coffee table, and nearly rolled off the couch in the process. Oh, how she hated being sick. She wanted to blame someone for this, but Hillary knew that it technically _was_ her fault for not bringing a jacket with her when she went out with Jake the other day. The two of them had gone to the beach to watch the sunset, but ended up getting caught in a sudden rainstorm. Hillary and Jake had run under a nearby bridge to stay dry, but the cold winds still made Hillary shiver. The fact that she was wearing a tank top and miniskirt didn't help either. Hillary had hoped that Jake would let her use his coat, she had even hinted at it – but Jake just didn't get the message. Hillary just shrugged the incident off; after all, Jake _did_ hold her close to keep her warm. Then again, now Hillary was sick with a cold in the middle of summer; stuck inside, lying on the couch, surrounded inused tissues.

She _wanted_ to give Jake the benefit of the doubt, but this wasn't exactly the first time this sort of thing happened. The two of them were officially a couple for over a month now, and Hillary had already started to notice that Jake seemed to be less… _gentlemanly _now than when they first met. Like the time Hillary and Jake had gone to the beach on one particularly hot and sunny day. Hillary had asked her boyfriend to put sunscreen on her back, but Jake tried to avoid the task by making up an excuse about a phobia of lotion. Hillary had ended up putting the lotion on herself, but didn't do a very good job since she was left with a horrible sunburn the next day.

Then there was that time when Jake promised to take Hillary to the new romantic restaurant in town for their one-month anniversary. Hillary was devastated when she found out that Jake forgot to make reservations, and the restaurant was booked solid for months. There was nowhere else to go, so they ended up eating at a _fast food restaurant_. Sure, they had a good time and all, but Hillary had expected a bit… _more_. She thought that maybe, just maybe her expectations were too high… Then again, maybe not.

Jake originally seemed like the perfect boyfriend; he always held doors open for Hillary, he was thoughtful, and he said and did the sweetest things. Lately though, Hillary couldn't help feeling like something was missing. None of Hillary's previous relationships had lasted very long, which made her wonder if she was setting her standards too high. As she pondered that thought, there was a knock at the door.

"Come in," Hillary said through a stuffed nose, frowning at the sound of her own voice. She quickly blew her nose and looked up to see Noel poking his head through the partially open door.

"Hey there," he said gently, letting himself in. He walked towards the couch Hillary was laying on, and she noticed that he was carrying a grocery bag that was almost overflowing with contents. "Feeling any better?"

Hillary sniffled. "Not really, I'm still cursed with this cold."

"Not for long," Noel said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I brought sustenance." Noel indicated the grocery bag he was holding. "Your cold will be gone before you know it, trust me." Hillary smiled at this; Noel could always make her feel better, no matter how bad she was feeling. "And I brought these for you," he said, handing Hillary a small bouquet of handpicked daisies and a card, both of which he had been hiding behind his back.

Hillary's face lit up with a smile as she accepted the gifts. "Aww thanks so much Noel, that's so sweet of you!" Noel was blushing furiously, but Hillary didn't notice; she was busy fiddling with the bow that was tied delicately around the bouquet. Daisies were Hillary's favorite flower, and she knew Noel would never forget why. Hillary suddenly became lost in thoughts of her childhood…

_It was a warm day in September: the first day of school. Hillary, who was eight years old at the time, stood alone in the middle of the playground. Her family had just moved to the city, and Hillary had yet to make any friends. She nervously twirled her finger around one of her pigtails as she looked around for someone to play with. _

"_Come play tag with us!" a girl with curly blonde hair said, grabbing Hillary's hand and pulling her towards her group of friends. _

_Hillary smiled as she ran away from Lisa, the girl who was "it". As she looked over her shoulder to see where Lisa was, she slid on the pavement and fell down, scraping her knee. As the girls all gathered around her, asking if she was okay, Hillary struggled to hold back tears. _

"_Lemme help you," a boy's voice said from within the crowd. He held out his hand, and Hillary grabbed on to it as he helped her up. _

"_Thanks," Hillary said quietly, looking into his big brown eyes. _

"_Come on, I'll take you to the nurse's office," the boy said, still clutching Hillary's hand. _

"_Kay"_

_The two of them slowly walked together towards the school, still holding hands. The boy stopped suddenly and bent down to pick a flower from the grass: a daisy. "Here, for you," the boy said, handing Hillary the little white flower. _

"_Thanks," Hillary said, smiling slightly. Neither of them said a word, until Hillary finally broke the silence. "I'm Hillary," she said softly._

"_I'm Noel."_

Hillary loved remembering her childhood. Even though she and Noel were one year apart, the two had become close friends quite quickly. No matter what they went through together, both would always remember the day they first met.

Hillary's thoughts were interrupted by none other than Noel, who had already put the daisies in a vase on the kitchen table. "I brought some soup along. I could heat it up for you now, if you want," Noel said, unloading the contents of his grocery bag onto the table.

"Thanks, that would be great," Hillary replied, as Noel turned on the stove and began warming the soup in a saucepan. As Hillary waited, she carefully opened up the envelope from Noel, and found a hand-made card inside. She smiled at the picture drawn on the front: it was a sketch of Hillary holding what else, but a daisy. She knew Noel was an amazing artist, but could never resist his drawings of her. She opened the card to find a short poem written inside.

_Your face may be pale_

_And your nose may be stuffed,_

_But you don't have to wail_

'_cause your pillows will be fluffed._

_I'll help fight your cold_

_With chicken noodle stew,_

_And I want you to know_

_That I'm always here for you. _

_I hope you get well soon Hillary. I'll always be here for you, don't you forget it! I know the poem was cheesy, but I was hoping it would make you smile._

_Love always, _

_Noel. _

Hillary's cheeks turned pink; Noel always had a way of making her feel special. She was grinning from ear as she put the card on the coffee table. The card really cheered her up. No, Noel cheered her up. Hillary pulled her blanket over her arms and closed her eyes, letting Noel's words sink in.

- - - - - - - - - -

"Hillary… Hillary…"

Hillary woke up to a voice calling her name. She opened her eyes to see Jake standing in front of her. Well, on the other side of the coffee table, same difference. Surprisingly, the first thought that crossed her mind was, "_Where's Noel?_"

"Ah, you're awake," Jake said, and handed Hillary a large bouquet of flowers. Compared to Noel's daisies, this bouquet was the Eiffel Tower. Yes, it really was the ultimate bouquet, containing carnations, chrysanthemums, roses, and baby's breath. Too bad Hillary just so happened to be allergic to baby's breath. _Severely allergic_. Hillary started sneezing all over the place, and quicklythrew the bouquet on the table.

"I'll take care of those." Hillary watched as Noel came over from the kitchen and took Jake's bouquet with him, clearly going to put them in some water.

"I got this card for you too," Jake said. He was obviously still oblivious to the fact that he nearly caused Hillary to sneeze to deathjust moments ago.

Hillary took the card from Jake and looked at the front. Sure enough, the card was store bought. The picture on the front was of a bouquet of flowers – with baby's breath. _"Curse you, baby's breath,"_ Hillary thought to herself as she opened the card to read the inside.

_Dear Hillary,_

_Get well soon._

_Love, Jake._

Hillary almost burst out laughing. _"This is what he wrote? Hilarious, absolutely hilarious!"_ Hillary thought to herself. She should have anticipated this, but alas, even she would not have guessed that her own boyfriend - the "poetry expert" - could write so little in a get-well card. Heck, she could have written a longer get-well card when she wassix years old.

"Thanks," Hillary said sweetly - maybe a little _too sweetly_. But she didn't care; her good mood had quickly faded.

"I'm glad you like it," Jake replied. Hillary thought he might give her a hug or something at this point, but no such luck, Jake stayed glued to his spot. Obviously he was afraid of catching Hillary's cold. "Anyways, it looks like Noel's got things under control here, so I'm heading off to work. Get better soon, Hill."

"Bye," Hillary said quietly. _"He can't even stay with me while I'm awake for more than 5 minutes? Geez, what's up with him?"_

Jake blew a kiss to Hillary from the doorway, then shut the door behind him.

The angry thing wasn't working for Hillary right now. She had been hurt, and nothing could hide that. The tears flowed from Hillary's eyes before she could stop them; she tried to wipe them away with her hands, but they continued to flow. She reached for a tissue, but was startled to see Noel standing next to her, holding a clean tissue out for her.

"Thanks," Hillary managed to say through sobs.

"Shh, it'll all be okay," Noel said softly, sitting next to Hillary on the couch and putting one arm around her. Hillary brought herself closer to Noel, threw one arm around him, and began to cry on his shoulder. Noel didn't even try to move away; he wasn't afraid of getting his shirt wet or getting sick, all he cared about was Hillary. He was there for her, just like he promised. Noel's warm, strong touch made Hillary calm down quickly, yet she still clung tightly onto him.

"Thanks… for everything," Hillary said, trying not to make herself cry again.

"Anytime," Noel replied, hugging Hillary tighter. At that moment, neither of them wanted to be anywhere else than with each other. It felt so… _right_. Yet to Noel, Hillary was still "the one that got away", and he knew he couldn't do anything about it. "I think you need to sleep," he said quietly, breaking apart from Hillary.

Hillary, though slightly disappointed,went back into her original position on the couch. Noel got up, fluffed Hillary's pillows, and pulled the blanket up to Hillary's arms. The two smiled at each other for a moment, and Noel slowly leaned in. He came closer, and closer to Hillary, and stroked her hair with his hand. Hillary's eyes did not break their gaze from Noel's as he inched closer. Noel suddenly stopped himself; he couldn't do this – not now, not today. Instead, he gently kissed Hillary's forehead and stood back up.

"Goodnight Hillary," He said softly, watching Hillary close her eyes. "You know where to find me." He quietly walked away, and out the door. Outside Hillary's door, Noel took a deep breath, then sighed. _"I'll never be able to tell her,"_ he thought sadly, and trudged across the street to his apartment.

* * *

THIS is now officially my second-longest chapter! I hope you liked it! Looks like Hillary is having some second thoughts about her relationship with Jake… Well really, what guy does those kind of stupid things to his girlfriend? If you ask me, Hillary's definitely got a reason to be upset! And I bet you all thought Noel and Hillary were gonna kiss, didn't you? Well, they weren't… not yet anyways. Oh, and don't ask about the part about the flowers being the Eiffel Tower. I dunno what came over me when I was writing this, but it just sounded right!

I loved writing this chapter, I don't know why. Expect an update soon, but not too soon, I'm really busy for the next little while. I think there will only be about one or two more chapters, then an epilogue! Exciting! In the next chapter, Hillary does some more deep thinking, and the hamsters do some talking. Not very eventful, but maybe I'll think of something interesting. Oh, and I've moved up to a grade 6.2 level! It's gotta be the dialogue, since this chapter didn't have _too_ much.

Anyways, until next time,

sparkleshine101


	7. Chapter 7: Three Small Words

Saturday, August 20, 2005

Oh gosh, it's been awhile since I've updated. I tried to write, believe me, but I didn't have a lot of free time lately. Plus, Ididn't want to force myself to write, otherwise it's no fun, and the chapter won't be as good. I don't know why, but I wasn't _completely _satisfied with this chapter, but that's just me. I hope you all think otherwise though!

Anyways, I'd love to be able to thank all of my reviewers like I usually do, but unfortunately, there's a new rule, so I can't. (If someone would be so kind as to let me know if it's still ok to have the thanks to the reviewers in my older chapters, that would help me out a lot, thanks!) Instead, I'll thank you all as a group (if this is still allowed. I really don't know!) So… Thanks everyone who reviewed, your support means so much to me!

Disclaimer: I don't own Hamtaro, any of the Hamtaro characters, or anything related to the show. Anything in this story that is similar to something already in existence is purely coincidental, and unintentional.

On with chapter seven! Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 7: Three Small Words**

As soon as Hillary heard the sound of the door closing, she opened her eyes. She suddenly wasn't tired anymore. She couldn't believe what had just happened; her heart was racing just thinking about it. When Hillary had gazed into Noel's beautiful brown eyes, something came over her, but she didn't know what. Hillary thought that Noel had wanted to kiss her, and when she looked back on it, Hillary realized that she wanted to kiss him too.

"_Get those thoughts out of your head,"_ Hillary told herself. _"You have a boyfriend, remember?"_ She sighed as she thought of Jake; things just weren't the same with him anymore. At the beginning, he was so sweet and caring; he always made her feel special. These past few days, however, Jake was quiet and conservative, and it seemed as if he was hiding something… or _someone_. Hillary didn't even want to think about it. Although Jake hadn't been the best boyfriend lately, Hillary still liked him a lot, and definitely did not want their relationship to be over. She would miss him too much.

"Why do boys have to be so complicated?" Hillary said aloud. This whole situation was too stressful for Hillary to deal with right now. She closed her eyes, trying to forget about all her problems. One word came out of her mouth in a whisper, just before she drifted off to sleep. "Noel…"

Sandy, who had been watching intently from her cage the entire time, was stunned. "Noel? NOEL? Have you totally forgotten about Jake?" Sandy shushed herself when she realized that she was shouting. She had no idea how this happened. "I thought things were going so well with Jake… So why did Hillary suddenly start liking Noel?" Sandy had a vague idea, and vowed to get to the bottom of this, before it was too late.

- - - - - - - - - -

The next morning, Hillary woke up feeling refreshed. Her cold was gone, with the exception of a few remaining sniffles, and it was a sunny day, so she couldn't be happier. She immediately thought of Jake, but her heart sank when she remembered everything that happened the night before. Hillary decided that it was time to have a talk with her boyfriend.

- - - - - - - - - -

Sandy entered the clubhouse and took a seat at the table next to her brother. Stan took a sip of tea then greeted her. "Hey Sandy, what's up?"

"Stan, like what do you think you're doing?" Sandy asked, still angry about the previous night's events.

"Err… I'm drinking my tea," Stan said, a bit confused at his sister's outburst.

Sandy crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "You know what I'm talking about."

"Do you really think so?" Stan retorted, getting annoyed.

"Stan, Noel tried to kiss Hillary last night." Sandy said, frowning.

"He did?" A wide grin suddenly appeared on Stan's face. "That's great! Aww, I'm so proud, he's finally learning from the master!" He stopped talking when he noticed the expression of disapproval on Sandy's face. "Oh, I mean… How could he do such a thing? Sheesh, some people have absolutely no control!"

"Yeah, as if you do?" Sandy snapped. "You _promised_ you wouldleave Hillary and Jake alone!"

'Hey, I had nothing to do with this," Stan replied defensively. "I can't help it if Noel likes Hillary, and whatever he chooses to do is totally his decision."

"I don't care if he likes her! But can't he see that Hillary is perfectly happy with Jake?"

"Oh _really_? Because that's not what _I've_ heard," Stan said with a smirk. "According to Noel, Hillary's been having second thoughts about her relationship. Jake hasn't been treating her the way he should be. Did Hillary ever tell you this? Because she told Noel, and believe me, she is definitely _not_ happy!"

Tears were forming in Sandy's eyes. Neither twin noticed that most of the other Ham-hams were staring at them.

"What do you have against Hillary and Noel?" Stan asked loudly. "Is Noel not good enough for her? Hmm?"

"I… I don't…"

"It's just because Jake is _Maxwell's_ owner, isn't it? You only care that you're happy with _him_. If Jake had any other hamster, I know you'd be on my side, one hundred percent," Stan continued bitterly.

Sandy froze. Was she being selfish and ignoring Hillary's feelings just because Jake was Maxwell's owner? Maybe she had imagined the four of them as a happy family, and blocked out everything else. Sandy didn't want to face the truth, even though she knew Stan was right. She ran out of the clubhouse, tears streaming from her eyes. _"Maybe this was all justa big mistake."_

- - - - - - - - - -

A million thoughts were going through Hillary's mind as she rang Jake's doorbell. Thoughts of Jake; how he had been acting lately, the dates they had been on, and what he could possibly be hiding. _"It better not be another girl..."_ A few memories of Noel also found their way in betweenHillary's thoughts about Jake. When Jake finally opened the door, he looked more surprised than happy to see his girlfriend.

"Hillary! I didn't expect –"

"Save it. We need to talk."

Jake could tell by Hillary's tone that she meant business, so he led her upstairs to his room. As soon as they entered, Jake rushed around, trying to tidy up. He closed the Internet browsers that were visible on his computer screen, and shoved some loose papers into his desk, wherever he could find space. _"Yup, he is definitely hiding something,"_ Hillary thought as she bent down to pick up one of the many books that lay on the floor. Out of nowhere, Jake rushed over and quickly grabbed the book out of Hillary's hand.

"Don't worry, I've got that," Jake said quickly, and proceeded to pick up the other books that were strewn around the room.

Hillary sat down on Jake's bed as she waited for him to finish cleaning up. She was getting impatient, and finally cracked. "Jake, don't take this the wrong way or anything, but I've noticed that… lately things seem… _different _between us."

Jake dropped the last few books he was holding and looked at Hillary. "Different? What do you mean?"

"_Right, like he doesn't know,"_ Hillary thought bitterly. However, she managed to keep her anger hidden. "Well, when we're together, I sometimes feel as if you don't really want to be there. It's like your heart isn't in this relationship anymore."

Jake took a seat on the bed next to Hillary and put one of his hands on her lap. He looked her in the eyes and said, "My heart _is_ still in this relationship baby, believe me." Jake leaned over and kissed Hillary softly on the lips.

Hillary loved the feeling of Jake's kisses, but she hadn't said everything she came to say. She stopped Jake, mid-kiss, and backed away. "Jake, I'm beginning to think that you're hiding something from me."

Jake's eyes widened and he looked down at his feet. "I… I… I'm not hiding anything, I've just been really busy lately, that's all."

Hillary wasn't impressed with Jake's lame attempt to cover things up. Her temper was rising, and she couldn't help herself from showing it. "So you're telling me that you're not trying to keep any other relationships a secret from me?"

"There's no one else, Hillary." Jake said, both defensively and devotedly.

"Yeah, I'm so sure," Hillary said sarcastically, getting up and heading for the door. Jake grabbed her hand, stopping her. _"Can't he see that I'm trying to make a dramatic exit?"_ She sighed, then turned to face Jake. She crossed her arms, and her face displayed a frown that said, _"Just try and defend yourself now."_

Jake got up, bringing himself to Hillary's level. "No other girl could even _compare_ to you. You're beautiful and smart and talented and…" Jake trailed off, trying to look Hillary in the eyes as he thought of what to say next. "There's no way I would even think of being with another girl when I'm so… in love with you."

Hillary really wasn't expecting this sort of response. "Did you… just say…"

Jake took Hillary's hands in his, and looked her in the eyes. "Yes. I love you, Hillary."

Hillary was speechless. She kissed him for a moment, but broke away once again. "I… I don't know what to say… I should be happy, but… I really don't know… I need some time to think things over." Hillary gave Jake a quick kiss on the cheek, then ran as fast as she could, away from Jake, his room, and his house.

* * *

Yeah, I know, it was kinda short, but if I added any of the stuff that's supposed to happen next chapter, it'd be too long. (Lucky I added in the part with the hamsters last minute, otherwise it would be super-short!) Next chapter, you get to find out what Jake's secret it! (Yes, he _does_ have a secret! Surprising, eh?) And… Well, I can't really say any more because even I don't know how it'll turn out (I blame my lack of planning and organization for this!) 

I look forward to your comments! Until next time,

**sparkleshine101 **


	8. Chapter 8: Ice Cream Obsession

Wednesday, August 31, 2005

Hey everyone! Don't hate me for not updating, I've been really busy! Well, it hasn't been _too_ long, but still! Anyways, I was writing this chapter, and I was like "this is BORING!" so I decided to spice things up a bit, so I added the ice cream bit in the middle. Then I decided, "Well I don't wanna add just a little bit of humor. If I'm gonna add humor, I gotta add lots of it!" So I changed around the beginning, and tried to make it as funny as I could. Let's hope everyone thinks so too. I think it makes the story a little more fun. (Plus I didn't want to end it yet! It's too soon!) Thanks again to my many reviewers, I reached 50 reviews! Yay! Thanks so much! On with the chapter!

By the way, I have nothing against Pashmina, so if she comes off as a bit of an airhead in this chapter, it's only to add humor. K? Good. _NOW_ on with the chapter!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Hamtaro, any of the Hamtaro characters, or anything related to the show. Anything in this story that is similar to something already in existence is purely coincidental and unintentional.

* * *

**Chapter 8: Ice Cream Obsession**

Stan stood in silence as he watched his sister flee from the clubhouse, crying. He thought that Sandy was going to yell at him, argue with him, maybe eventry to hurt him, but he definitely didn't expect her to _cry_.

"_Maybe I was a little harsh,"_ Stan thought. He snapped out of it when he noticed Bijou and Pashmina standing right in front of him, looking angry as ever.

"How could you do such a thing?" Bijou said in a voice filled with hate, much unlike her usual sweet, French accent.

"You made her cry!" Pashmina added, glaring at Stan.

"That was no way to treat your sister!"

"And with half the clubhouse watching too!"

"You should be very ashamed!"

"Yeah… 'cause... um...you made her cry!"

"You already said that!" Bijou whispered to her scarf-wearing friend. "You were _supposed_ to stick to the script!"

"I know, I know! I just got caught up in the moment! I don't do well under pressure! Don't hate me Bijou! I won't do it again, never, ever, ever!"

Bijou rolled her eyes. _"Time to take things into my own hands… err… paws."_ She turned back to Stan, who was backing away towards the door. "We are not finished with you yet," she said sharply.

"I… err…" Stan nervously glanced from Bijou to Pashmina, then back to Bijou again. Normally he'd feel like the happiest ham alive, talking to two ham-girls – _alone – _but today, he'd do anything to get away from them. The two girls crossed their arms, waiting for a response. "I... I didn't mean to! Come on, you know I'd never hurt Sandy on purpose!"

"Well, that did not seem like an accident to me!" Bijou shouted.

"Bijou's right," Pashmina said, regaining her composure from her little _"slip-up."_ "And consider yourself lucky that Maxwell wasn't here to hear you!"

"Oui, he would have been very upset!"

The two ham-girls didn't say any more, they simply turned and walked away, leaving Stan feeling guiltier than before. He knew he had to do something about it; he had to find Sandy. He really didn't _want_ to face her wrath – again – but he knew he _had_ to. _"Darn conscience,"_ he thought to himself as he headed out the clubhouse door.

- - - - - - - - - -

Hillary slowed her pace as she neared her apartment. She didn't know exactly _why_ she had been running, but it made her feel a little bit better. That's what physical activity does to people, unless of course they get hurt in the process. All in all, Hillary's mind was taken off her problems for a little while. Even so, in the back of Hillary's head, a little voice kept reminding her that she still needed to think things through. But that voice would have to wait, because something louder was overpowering it. The sound of a faint, yet annoying tune filled the air. Hillary's face lit up at the sweet sound of the excessively-cheery music, andshe began to follow it.

As Hillary turned the corner, she saw the source: a big white ice cream truck. Hillary absolutely _loved_ ice cream, and now was as good a time as ever for a huge scoop of double chocolate ice cream. Yes, ice cream _did _cost three dollars, and yes, Hillary had two containers full of ice cream in her freezer back home, but Hillary wanted – no, _needed_ – ice cream. _Now_. The ice cream truck's music must have had subliminal messages hidden in there or something, because Hillary walked right past her apartment, towards the truck, in a trance-like state. Her eyes were glossy; the desire for the frosty treat burned brightly within them. Her mouth hung open, and she mouthed the words "ice… cream…" as she walked. Too bad Jake wasn't there to see her now, or the whole "I love you" situation would be solved faster than you could say "Kalamazoo." Well, maybe not that fast, but it would be very fast indeed.

Coincidentally, when the ice cream truck stopped, it was parked right in front of Noel's apartment building. Hillary got in line behind a little boy who was wearing brown pants, a white shirt, and a red baseball cap. She twiddled her thumbs impatiently; she longed for the wonderful sensation of rich chocolate ice cream melting in her mouth. Hillary stared at the boy in front of her; her eyesight went blurry for a moment. Hillary blinked, then saw a large, vanilla ice cream cone, topped with a cherry, right where the boy was standing just moments ago.

Hillary eyed the "ice cream cone" with a smirk. She stepped closer, picked up the "cherry," and kissed it. "I've been waiting for you for too long," Hillary said, staring at the baseball cap. Wait, baseball cap? Hillary looked down to see the now hatless boy, staring up at her, his mouth agape. He blinked several times, then snatched the cap out of Hillary's hands, running as far away from her as he could. _"Phew, that was close. To think, I almost ate a baseball cap!" _Hillary laughed it off; noticing the little girl in front of her was just about finished with the vendor.

As soon as the girl received her purchase, Hillary ran up to the window of the truck, nearly knocking the poor child over in the process. "One double chocolate ice cream cone, double scoop in a waffle cone, please," Hillary said quickly, in one breath. The vendor took a cone and slowly scooped ice cream into it. "Can you go a bit faster please?" Hillary asked. No response. "Sir? Faster please?" The vendor still scooped at the same speed. Hillary's temper was rising and she was getting _very_ impatient. "Come on!" That was it, Hilary couldn't take it anymore. Yeah, you guessed it, she snapped. "YOU CALL THAT FAST? MY EIGHTY-THREE-YEAR-OLD GRANDMOTHER CAN SCOOP FASTER THAN THAT! I'M A PAYING CUSTOMER FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!" Hillary stopped yelling and took a few deep breaths to calm herself down.

The vendor popped his head out the window. "Did you say something, miss?" He asked. Hillary forced herself to keep her mouth shut, and she simply shook her head. She noticed that the vendor was wearing earphones and listening to music, full blast.

_"I guess that's the only way to survive driving an ice-cream truck. The headphones must really block out all those subliminal messages in that annoying ice cream truck music. Otherwise he'd be eating ice cream non-stop. Or maybe I'm the only one who would do that-"_ Hillary's thoughts were interrupted by the vendor, who was holding out Hillary's ice cream cone. Hillary took it and admired it; it was so chocolatey, so _perfect_. Almost too good to eat. Almost, but not quite.

"Excuse me, miss?"

Hillary threw the vendor some money, then began to walk away, gazing peacefully at her beautiful ice cream cone. She didn't care about getting change from the vendor; she had waited so long for this moment, and now, she would _finally_ get to savour the wonderful ice cream flavour. Well, Hillary _would_ have, but she was looking at her ice cream for so long that she didn't notice the curb right in front of her. Sure enough, Hillary tripped over the curb. She flailed her arms about, trying to maintain her balance. Even though she looked pretty silly doing it, Hillary managed to avoid hitting the floor. Unfortunately, in the arm-flailing process, the ice cream cone had gone soaring through the air, heading towards the nearest passerby. That passerby just so happened to Noel. Poor guy didn't even see it coming. One minute he's admiring the scenery, the next, his face is covered in double-chocolate ice cream.

Now, this situation isn't _too _bad as it is, but of course, the madness doesn't stop there. After realizing that her precious ice cream cone was flying through the air, no longer secured safely in her hand, Hillary had run after it, hoping to catch it. As if that was going to happen. At the same time, Noel, being blinded by ice cream, slipped on the cone, which had fallen on the ground right in front of him. Noel fell to the ground, landing in a puddle of melted ice cream, and Hillary, still looking at the sky, tripped over him. She landed right on top of her friend, in a rather "awkward" position. The two of them looked into each other's eyes for what seemed like an eternity,until Hillary slowly extended her hand toward Noel's face...

* * *

Well, I'll just leave it at that. Ha, cliffhanger! I've been meaning to put one of those in lately, but I always felt the need to "conclude" my chapters. I'm too nice, I know. Well that was definitely the chapter that was the most fun for me to write. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I changed the second genre of my story from "general" to "humor," because I'm hoping people will find it funny (even if it _is_ only for one chapter). Once this story is done, I've got 2 more humor story ideas, both of which I'm _dying_ to start! But not until this one's done, I promise. 

Chapter nine… (wow, I'm nearing the end!)… You're gonna like what's coming at the end of the cliffhanger! Also, Hillary and Noel talk… and you finally get to find out Jake's secret (I think that was really supposed to be in this chapter. Oops, too late! I barely even mentioned him!) If I make it as long as I'm hoping to, it should be the final chapter before the epilogue. I can't wait! I'll try to update before my school year starts!

Well, until next time,

**Sparkleshine101**


	9. Chapter 9: Jake's Secret

Thursday, September 8, 2005

I'm here with another update! I'm surprised I wrote this so fast! Yeah, the update was slow, but I wrote most of this quite awhile ago. I just needed to add in a few minor things. It's not the most interesting part of the story because it's part of the falling action (Oh no, English class terminology!), but you finally get to find out what Jake has been keeping a secret all this time. I hope it doesn't sound too cheesy!

I included half of the final paragraph of chapter eight, just in case some of you forgot what happened (let's hope you didn't!). Also, I went a bit overboard on the "…" in the middle of the chapter… (there I go again!) Anyways, here's Chapter Nine!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Hamtaro, any of the Hamtaro characters, or anything connected to the show. I only own Jake, the character I made up. Anything in this story that is similar to something already in existence is purely coincidental and unintentional.

* * *

**Chapter 9: Jake's Secret**

Noel fell to the ground, landing in a puddle of melted ice cream, and Hillary, still looking at the sky, tripped over him. She landed right on top of her friend, in a rather "awkward" position. The two of them looked into each other's eyes for what seemed like an eternity, until Hillary slowly extended her hand toward Noel's face. Noel felt Hillary caress his cheek softly, and thought that she was going to kiss him. He closed his eyes, and waited. He waited, waited, and waited some more. Maybe it would have been smarter for him to make the first move. Noel finally opened his eyes to find Hillary scooping the ice cream off his face and licking it off her fingers; grinning in ecstasy. Noel sighed in disappointment, causing Hillary, who was still on top of him, to give her attention to him. (**A/N:** Yayfulness! You're psychic! A one-shot will be coming your way ASAP! You deserve it!)

Hillary, realizing the position they were in, quickly jumped to her feet. "Ohmigosh Noel I'm so sorry! I… I…" She offered her hand to Noel, to help him up. "Here!" Noel simply eyed the ice cream covered hand. Even _he_ didn't want to hold Hillary's hand when it was sticky like that. "Oh, sorry!" Hillary held out her other hand, which Noel gladly accepted, and she pulled him to his feet. Hillary laughed nervously, a little embarrassed at what happened. "I really don't know what came over me. I never knew that ice cream would make me so… so…"

"Crazy?" Noel suggested.

"Hey!" Hillary said with a smirk, playfully punching Noel in the arm. "Come on, I'm not _that_ crazy!"

"Well…"

Hillary looked at Noel matter-of-factly. "At least I'm not the one with ice cream on my face."

Noel rolled his eyes. "I wouldn't be so sure of myself if I were you," he said, pointing to the corner of Hillary's mouth. This caused Hillary to stick out her tongue, attempting to lick it off herself. Noel laughed, "Okay, I know you _love_ ice cream, Hillary, but…"

Hillary's eyes widened when she heard those last few words. Her heart sank, while worry and discomfort immediately filled her mind.

Noel put his hand on Hillary's shoulder. "Um… did I say something wrong?" He asked, his voice full of concern.

Hillary hesitated, unsure of what she should say, or whether Noel was the right person to be telling this to. _"He's just a friend. You can tell him, he'll know what to say,"_ Hillary told herself. She took a deep breath."It's… Jake." Hillary looked at Noel, and knew he was listening intently, waiting for her to go on. "Well, things haven't been the best between us these past few weeks. And I know, we've only been together for like, a month and a half, but…" Hillary trailed off. _"Maybe it'd be best to keep what Jake said a secret…"_

"He's not ready to commit?" Noel asked curiously.

"Actually he said he loved me," Hillary replied, clasping her hand over her mouth as soon as the words left her mouth. _"So much for that idea… I really have to start thinking before I open my big mouth,"_ Hillary thought. But to her surprise, Noel didn't look hurt at all. In fact, he looked almost… _amused_.

"And you _believed_ him? Please Hillary; tell me you didn't actually believe him."

"Well, actually…"

Noel sighed. "Look Hillary, I'm not saying you're not loveable or anything, but it hasn't even been two months yet! Do you _really_ think Jake meant what he said?" This is what Hillary really admired in Noel: he was down-to-earth and had common sense. He could always find a loophole, no matter what the situation was. As much as Hillary wanted to believe Jake, she just couldn't.

"I… I guess not."

"You shouldn't be wasting your time with guys like Jake. He doesn't deserve to be with you. He's not worth your suffering and tears. You need to be with someone thoughtful, caring, and kind. Someone who'll put all your needs before his. Someone who will go to the ends of the Earth just to be with you. Someone who will do anything and everything for you…" Noel gazed into Hillary's eyes, secretly thinking, _"Someone like me."_

Hillary's heart was racing. What Noel just said was so… _deep_. It made her realize that she _did_ deserve more from her boyfriend. But where would she be able to find a guy like that? Maybe the answer was closer than she thought… Hillary had a sudden urge to wrap her arms around Noel and embrace him in a passionate kiss; but Jake's voice popped into her head. Actually, Jake was running right towards her, calling out "Hillary! Hillary!"

Hillary instinctively backed away from Noel. It's not like they were _doing anything_, but it just seemed like the most appropriate thing to do.

Noel gave Hillary a supportive smile. "I'll leave you two alone. But remember what I said, okay?" Hillary nodded as Noel walked away. She then walked up to Jake, who was taking a breather just a few feet away from where she was before.

"Hey Jake," Hillary said softly, looking down at her shoes.

Jake put his hands on Hillary's shoulder's causing her to look him right in the eye. "Listen Hillary, I've been thinking… I kind of dropped a bomb on you back at my place. And I really don't want you to be feeling any pressure to say something back to me or anything. It was actually kind of an impulsive decision, and… maybe my feelings aren't quite that strong… yet. Don't get me wrong, I still really care about you and all…"

"_Come on, say it!" _Hillary thought.

"… But… I just don't… love you…" Jake finished.

"You're… taking it back?" Hillary asked, taking a deep breath as she awaited Jake's answer.

"Err… kinda... Well, yeah."

Hillary let out a sigh of relief and threw her arms around Jake. "You have no idea how glad I am to hear you say that!"

Jake laughed softly as he and Hillary parted. "This wasn't quite the reaction I was expecting."

"Well, I really like you Jake, but there was no way I would feel… like _that_ so soon… It hasn't even been two months yet!" Hillary said, looking Jake in the eye.

"I understand _completely_! That's why I ran all the way here to tell you!"

"Wait… how did you know I'd be here?"

Jake grinned. "We may have only been together for a little while, but that was enough time for me to figure out that you have a weakness for ice cream. Even if you don't always show it!" Jake paused as the ice cream truck drove past the two of them, the captivating music still playing, drawing in more customers. "So, I guess this means we're cool now, right?"

Hillary frowned slightly. "Actually, you're not off the hook yet." Jake's eyes widened at this statement. He seemed to have no idea what Hillary was referring to. "As you could probably tell, the past few weeks haven't been the best between us. I really appreciate everything you do for me, Jake, but sometime it feels as if you're not putting forth enough _effort_."

"Err… effort?" Jake was _really_ confused now.

"Well, when we're together… It seems like your mind is somewhere else. Come on Jake, _please_ be honest with me. I won't get mad at you, I promise. Now tell me, what are you hiding from me?"

"Oh man, was it really that obvious? I really didn't want you to find out, but I guess that's one of the reasons why I had to take back… well, you know…" Jake began sweating a bit, growing continuously more uncomfortable. "Okay, well… I guess I would have had to tell you this sooner or later…" Hillary prepared herself for the worst. Jake took Hillary's hands, but this time it was his turn to stare at his feet. "Hillary, I… I got accepted into Oxford University."

Hillary sighed, relieved at what she heard. "That's awesome Jake! Congratulations! Why were you hiding such great news from me?"

Jake nearly had tears in his eyes now. "Hillary, Oxford is in England. That means we wouldn't be able to see each other for most of the year." Hillary's expression suddenly became dead serious. "I didn't want to leave you behind Hillary. Believe me, these past few weeks I've been spending most of my free time researching local schools, and sending out applications. But I've had no luck whatsoever."

"I feel so bad Jake! I accused you of being unfaithful and being a bad boyfriend! And all this time you were just trying to find a way to make our relationship last!" Hillary was clutching Jake's hand very tightly now.

"No Hillary, don't feel bad. I should have told you sooner. I just didn't want to complicate things."

A tear fell down Hillary's cheek as she remembered Noel's words. _"Someone who will go to the ends of the Earth just to be with you. Someone who will do anything and everything for you…"_ This was exactly what Jake had been doing all along, she just took awhile to realize it.

"We're gonna find a way to make this work. We _have_ to," Hillary said, looking Jake straight in the eyes. Then, she did the first thing that came to mind: she pulled Jake towards her and kissed him passionately. There was no way she was going to lose him now; not after everything they had been through. Just hours ago, Hillary would have done anything to get away from Jake, but now, all she wanted to do was be with him. Just him, and her. Together.

* * *

Well, there's chapter nine! I hope you all liked my latest chapter! Yeah, it wasn't incredibly exciting but I think it's better than… chapter three! (That was my worst chapter, in my opinion). PLUS you _finally_ got to find out Jake's secret! He's going to University out of the country! (You get to choose what country they live in! Japan, U.S., Canada, whatever.) I bet you all didn't expect that! But... is he telling the truth? Hmmm... _Anyways_, I didn't add the hamsters into this chapter because I thought it might ruin the tone. Next chapter will be shorter, but mostly hamsters! 

Now that school has started, I'm really busy with homework and extra curricular activities so I probably won't get a chance to update for awhile. But whenever I get a chance, I'll try to write! Expect an update in maybe… 2 weeks!

Also, I just want to give a BIG thank you to all my amazing reviewers! I'm glad you all enjoyed my humor! All your comments mean so much to me, and help me to write faster!

P.S. (Let's hope this isn't breaking the rules!) Yayfulness, let me know what you want your one-shot to be about… Tell me the genre, main characters, anything like that. I'll write _almost_ anything. However, I probably won't write it until after I write my next chapter.

Well, that's all for now! R&R please!

**Sparkleshine101**


	10. Chapter 10: The Twins Team Up

Wednesday, September 14, 2005

Hey everyone! Thanks so much for reviewing my previous chapter! I'm glad you liked it! Chapter Ten isn't very interesting, but, as promised, the hamsters are there! Well, only Stan and Sandy, but they're there for the entire chapter. It's also short, but I really wanted to update today. The title's kind of dumb, but I like alliteration! English class is really getting to me. Anyways,enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Hamtaro, any of the Hamtaro characters, or anything connected to the show. I only own Jake, the character I made up. Anything in this story that is similar to something already in existence is purely coincidental and unintentional.

* * *

**Chapter 10: The Twins Team Up**

Sandy had been running for a few minutes, and was getting pretty tired, so she sat down on a nearby rock for a rest. It's not like she was in a rush to get anywhere in particular. _"This is stupid, why am I running away?"_ she thought to herself as she wiped the remaining tears away from her eyes. Although she was still a little mad at Stan, she was angrier with herself. Everything she said and did recently all seemed so petty and selfish.

"What am I going to do?" Sandy asked herself, resting her chin in her paws.

On the other side of town, another tiger-striped hamster was just asking himself the same question.

"What am I doing to do? Sandy could be anywhere by now! Lemme think, if I were Sandy, where would I go? Hmm…" Stan stopped walking and held his chin, trying to look thoughtful. "I know; the clubhouse!" He said, with sudden enthusiasm. Stan frowned, "no… that's where I just came from… think, Stan, think!" A smile slowly crept across Stan's face as a new idea popped into his head. "It's so simple and obvious; I might actually find her there!"

Back at the rock, Sandy was still trying to sort out her thoughts. _"Maybe I should just go back to the clubhouse. They won't exactly be excited to see me, but at least I can try to fix things before **everyone** finds out about the fight…"_ Sandy got off the rock and began to walk back to the clubhouse, staring at the ground.

At the same time, Stan was heading towards Hillary's apartment, the place where he was most likely to find his sister. He heard a strange tune coming from behind him and his ears perked up at the sound. Stan whipped himself around, discovering that the music was coming from an ice cream truck that was driving down the road **(A/N: **yes, the same ice cream truck from Chapter 8) _"Whatever,"_ he thought, spinning around quickly, only to crash right into his sister, knocking the poor hamster over.

"Sandy!" Stan exclaimed, "I was looking for you!"

"Well you found me," Sandy replied with a hint of resentment in her voice as she stood back up.

"I didn't mean to crash into you, you know, and-"

"Yeah, I know," Sandy said, rolling her eyes and walking past her brother.

"Come on, at least hear me out!" Stan said, grabbing his twin's arm, forcing her to stop. "Look, I wanted to apologize for the stuff I said back at the clubhouse… It was really harsh, and I didn't really mean to be mean, but-"

"Don't apologize," Sandy said, cutting Stan off.

"But-"

"You were right. I was being selfish. I only wanted Jake and Hillary to be together because of Maxwell. Now that I think about it, Jake's been a real jerk to Hillary. Personally, I'm _glad_ that she's having second thoughts about their relationship," Sandy said seriously.

Stan looked hopeful. "So, you're not mad then?"

"Not really. I guess I kind of just needed time to think, which made me realize how stupid I've been these past few weeks."

"Naw, you're not stupid," Stan said supportively.

Sandy smirked. "You're right, I'm smarter than you!"

"Hey!" Stan replied indignantly. Sandy giggled and ran away from her brother, back towards the clubhouse. Stan immediately chased after her, laughing too. They were nearing the end of the grass, almost to the sidewalk, and Stan was getting closer and closer to catching his sister. Then, out of nowhere, Sandy stopped dead in her tracks. Stan, being right behind her, crashed into her again.

"You've _got_ to stop doing that!" Sandy said, half-jokingly, half-annoyed.

"Heh, sorry!" Stan replied, helping his twin up. "Why'd you stop?"

Sandy merely pointed down the sidewalk. Stan's eyes followed Sandy'sgaze, down the sidewalk, where the two of them saw Hillary locking lips with Jake.

"What the heck is going on with those two?" Sandy questioned angrily.

"Don't look at me," Stan replied defensively, "I thought their relationship was going downhill."

"It _was_ yesterday. I thought Hillary was going to **break up** with Jake this morning, not **make out** with him!" Sandy said, crossing her arms.

"Why is Jake so lucky?"

Sandy punched her brother in the arm. "Stan!"

"Sorry…"

"Let's go, there's no way I'm watching any more of this!" Sandy said, walking away.

"I'm right behind you, sis!" Stan added, catching up. "So _now_ do you agree that Noel is better suited for Hillary than _he_ is?" Stan asked, nodding behind them to indicate who "he" was.

"Obviously! Noel deserves to be with her… Unlike _some_ people we know."

"Exactly. Finally you're agreeing with me!" Stan replied eagerly.

"Well, it's for Hillary's sake."

Stan rolled his eyes. "Whatever. We're working together now, and that's what matters."

"Agreed." Sandy put her paw in between her and her twin and began speaking rather formally. "From now on, we shall work as a team to put an end to this dreadful relationship as soon as possible!"

"Totally!" Stan agreed, putting his paw on top of Sandy's.

"Twin power!" They both shouted, pumping their fists in the air.

Little did they know, one particular hamster was about to give them both the best and worst news that they could ever imagine.

* * *

Dun, dun, dun! Another cliffhanger! I'm getting evil… Muahahaha! Anyways, that was a really boring chapter in my opinion… Still not as bad as Chapter 3 though, lol. Well next chapter you get to find out what the good and bad news is, and who the "particular hamster" is…I thought of more plot advancements so I'm not ending my story quite yet. Yay! 

Thanks again for reading and reviewing everyone!

**Sparkleshine101**


	11. Chapter 11: This Changes Everything!

Saturday, January 28, 2006

Hey everyone! It's been quite awhile since I've updated this story… over four months! Don't worry, I didn't forget about it, I just really didn't have the time to write! I'm done my exams though, so I decided to use my time off to try to finish my story! Thanks for all the reviews everyone, and here's Chapter 11! It's short, but another update will be heading your way soon! Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Hamtaro, any of the Hamtaro characters, or anything connected to the show. I only own Jake, the character I made up. Anything in this story that is similar to something already in existence is purely coincidental and unintentional.

* * *

**Chapter 11: This Changes Everything**

Stan and Sandy were now working together as a team to get Hillary away from Jake so she could be with Noel. Yes, it may sound like an evil plan, but the two hamsters only want what's best for their dearest owners. "Twin power!" They both shouted, pumping their fists in the air.

"What's this I hear about twin power?" Maxwell's voice asked, from behind the twins.

"Oh, nothing really. Just, like, a brother-sister thing," Sandy said, the corners of her mouth curving up in a smile. "So why are you heading towards the clubhouse so late?"

"Jake just left, not too long ago. Which reminds me, I have some important news I need to tell you," Maxwell replied, looking at Sandy in particular.

"Oh sure, just forget all about _me_," Stan remarked with fake annoyance.

"When I said 'you,' I was implying-"

"Uh-huh, sure, whatever you say, Max."

"Shut UP, Stan!" Sandy glared at her brother.

Maxwell eyed both twins for a minute, making sure they would be quiet for a minute, then took a deep breath.

"Jake got accepted into Oxford University, and-"

"What's a university?" the tiger-striped hamsters questioned.

Maxwell sighed. "It's quite simple, really. A university is an institution of learning that is part of the post-secondary education that many humans require in order to get a well-paying job. Humans must go through a rigorous decision-making and application process to ensure that they are choosing the right path for their future..." Maxwell stopped, noticing that Stan and Sandy were staring at him with blank looks on their faces. "It's another school that humans go to after high school," he explained again, in simpler terms.

"Ohhhh! Well you could have just said that from the beginning," Sandy said, smilinginnocently.

"I… never mind. Anyways, Jake is leaving for Oxford in two weeks. The thing is, it's in England, a country quite a distance away from here…"

Stan and Sandy exchanged secretive smiles; in just two weeks, Jake would be _miles_ away!

"That's really great, Maxwell," Sandy said, grabbing on to his arm and caressing it softly.

"Not exactly… Jake's taking me with him."

Sandy let go of her boyfriend's arm in shock. Her eyes were wide and her mouth hung open, speechless. "_This changes everything!_" she thought, on the verge of tears.

"You can't be serious," Stan said in disbelief.

"I wish I wasn't," Maxwell said, holding Sandy close to him, allowing her to cry on his shoulder.

"You can't leave Maxwell, you just can't!" Sandy cried.

"Dude, there must be some way you can stay," Stan said. Maxwell only shook his head.

So, with heavy hearts, the three hamsters walked back towards the clubhouse to break the news to the others.

* * *

Short… I know. Sorry I couldn't make it longer, but the next chapter has a MAJOR event going on so it'll be longer! Jake is getting ready to leave for university, and makes a very _interesting_ decision. You will all be surprised, I can guarantee it! And what's going to happen between Sandy and Max? Find out really soon, when I update! 

Please review my chapter, even though I know it was pretty bad. Just keep in mind the promised update!

**Sparkleshine101**


	12. Chapter 12: A Present for Hillary

Tuesday, January 31, 2006

Hey everyone! Thanks for all the reviews! (The exams were just regular, end of term exams. Now I'll never have to think about those four subjects again - or at least until next year).

Oh, and thanks angel73 for putting me on your faves!

Now you get to find out about Jake's "interesting" decision. Get ready for it! And I hope you remember something that happened way back in Chapter 2... it's important!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Hamtaro, any of the Hamtaro characters, or anything connected to the show. I only own Jake, the character I made up. Anything in this story that is similar to something already in existence is purely coincidental and unintentional

* * *

**Chapter 12: A Present for Hillary**

The next few days were incredibly difficult for Hillary. All she wanted was to make her last few days with Jake last as long as possible, but the harder she tried, the faster the days went by.

It was the day before Jake was supposed to leave, and Hillary sat on her couch, holding Sandy in her hands. "As much as I don't want Jake to leave, I know that our bond is so strong, so this long distance relationship is definitely going to work. It should be no problem," Hillary thought aloud.

_"Yeah, for you maybe, but not for me,"_ Sandy thought spitefully. She was still incredibly upset that the only boyham she ever had would be leaving her tomorrow.

"I just know everything will be alright." Hillary's optimism was interrupted by a knock at the door. Hillary put Sandy back in her cage, then opened the door to find Jake standing alone with a large box in his hands.

"Before I leave tomorrow, I wanted to bring you something, to, you know, remember me by." Jake thrust the box forward toward Hillary, who eagerly opened it. Inside the box, Hillary found hamster food, treats, and a hamster cage. Not just any cage, though – Maxwell was in it!

Hillary was confused. "Jake, I don't get it…"

"I just found out that the dorms at Oxford don't allow pets. I don't know how I didn't realize that before. I need someone to look after Maxwell for me, and my little brothers never really liked animals…"

"You want me to be your petsitter?" Hillary asked, shocked that Jake would do something like this.

"No, no, no – like I said before, this is my gift to you. If you'll accept it, that is."

"Of course I'll accept it-"

"And don't you remember what Dr. Lion said to us, that day we first met?"

Hillary smiled, thinking back to that carefree day at the beginning of summer. _"It's important that you keep them near each other, you never know what consequences will arise from separation." _Hillary giggled, remembering that Dr. Lion also thought that her and Jake were a couple, when in fact, they had just met.

"Uh, Hillary?"

Jake snapped Hillary back to reality. "Oh, right. Dr. Lion… You didn't actually believe that, did you?" she asked, regaining her composure.

"At first I didn't, I thought it was just something made up by a batty old doctor. But I keep hearing how smart this doctor is, so you never know, he might actually be right. Plus, lately I've noticed that Maxwell looks really depressed. He doesn't eat much, and won't even run on his Whiz Wheel anymore."

"Now that you bring it up, Sandy's been acting the same way."

"It may just be a coincidence, but I have a feeling that Dr. Lion was right. And we don't want our poor little hamsters to starve to death, right?" Jake asked, smiling.

"Right," Hillary agreed.

"Take good care of Maxwell, okay?"

"I will."

"You're great Hillary," Jake said, giving her a tight hug before leaving the apartment. "Bye!" he called out, only when he was halfway down the hall.

Hillary was left open-mouthed for a moment, but quickly moved on to set Maxwell's cage next to Sandy's. "Look, your little buddy won't be leaving after all. Isn't that great?"

It was more than great, it was the best thing anyone could have told Sandy at that moment. But Sandy saw right through Hillary's optimism. It was obvious that her owner was upset. "I feel so bad for Hillary," she said, watching Hillary lie down on the couch, crying herself to sleep.

Maxwell slipped out of his cage and into Sandy's, wrapping his arm around the tiger-striped hamster's shoulder. "I understand how you feel, but there's nothing we can do about it."

_"That's what you think,"_ Sandy thought. She already had the perfect plan in mind – one that would make Hillary happy for sure.

* * *

Well that was the chapter! Yay, Maxwell's not leaving after all! Oh, and sorry about the cliffhanger, but it's the last one, I promise! Why, you ask? Because the next chapter is going to be the last chapter! (I'm serious this time) And I might make an epilogue, that depends how everything goes. Well, I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and please review! The last chapter will be on it's way soon!

**Sparkleshine101**


	13. Chapter 13: Time to Say Goodbye

Friday, August 18, 2006

GUESS WHAT! I'm finally updating! Wow, after how long? I really do apologize for the extremely long wait, but I hope you all enjoy the last and final chapter of "A Shoulder to Cry On."

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Hamtaro, any of the Hamtaro characters, or anything connected to the show. I also do not own the song "A Shoulder to Cry On," by Tommy Page, which is used in this chapter. I only own Jake, the character I made up. Anything in this story that is similar to something already in existence is purely coincidental and unintentional.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

**Chapter 13: Time to Say Goodbye**

Today was the day that Hillary had been dreading for two weeks; the day that Jake would be leaving for university. It was also the day that Sandy would put her plan into action.

The previous night, Sandy waited until Maxwell and Hillary were asleep, then slipped out of her cage to go to her brother's house. If there was anyone who could help her, it would be – well, it would be Maxwell, but in this particular situation, her brother was the next best choice. Plus, he wanted to get Noel and Hillary together even more than Sandy did. Yes, Sandy's plan was to play matchmaker, getting Hillary and Noel together at precisely the right time. Wait, "precisely?" Look's like someone's been spending a little too much time with Maxwell lately.

Anyways, back to the plan. The twins knew that Jake would be meeting Hillary outside her apartment building the next morning to say goodbye. All they needed to do was to get Noel there when Hillary was most vulnerable. The hard part was how? Sandy decided it would be best to forge a note from Hillary to Noel, telling him to come over. Of course, neither twin was exactly what you could call an expert at forging notes. Tue poor hamsters could barely even lift the human-size pen they were using. After hours of planning and struggling, they were finally done. The note read:

"_Deer Noel,_

_Pleez come meet me owtside tomoro morning. I cant wate to cee u._

_- Hillary" _

Yes, many hours were spent on such a short, poorly spelled note. But both twins were proud of their effort, and as long as it was able to bring Hillary and Noel together, they would be happy.

Sandy left Noel's apartment in the early hours of the morning and made it back to her cage just in time to act like she was still asleep. Or so she thought. Unfortunately for Sandy, Maxwell's eyes shot open the moment she entered the cage. "_Like, uh-oh."_

"You're back," the bookworm stated simply.

"I… err… yeah…" Sandy's mind was racing to think of a good excuse. She was really caught off guard. "From the… um… kitchen! Yeah, that's it!"

"Sandy, you don't have to lie to me. I know you weren't here all night. Just tell me the truth."

Sandy couldn't resist Maxwell's genuine chocolate brown eyes and kind smile, but at the same time, she knew that she couldn't tell him about her plan. He would hate her if he found out that Sandy didn't like Jake.

"Ok, if you really want to know, I went to Stan's place. I just couldn't fall asleep." Sandy was a sneaky one. She didn't tell Maxwell the _complete _truth, but she didn't lie either. Technically she couldn't fall asleep, otherwise her plan wouldn't work! But it didn't really matter, Maxwell would never find out.

"Ah, alright, you could have just told me that in the first place," Maxwell said, getting up and munching on a sunflower seed.

"Hey, there's no time for that! Don't you like, want to see them say goodbye?" Sandy asked, glancing over at Hillary, who had just finished getting ready.

"Of course, we'd better hurry!" Maxwell replied. And with that, he grabbed Sandy's paw and led her out of the cage, where they quickly jumped into Hillary's handbag, right before she picked it up and walked out the door.

- - - - - - - - - -

Jake was all packed and ready to go to university. He was taking a taxi to the airport, but he agreed to stop by Hillary's place to say goodbye. As soon as she saw him get out of his cab, Hillary ran over to Jake and threw her arms around him.

"I never want to let go," she whispered into Jake's ear, tightening her grip. But to her surprise, Jake pulled away. "Wh-what are you doing?"

Jake looked at the floor. "Hillary, I thought you already knew."

Hillary stared back blankly. "Knew what?"

"That we're breaking up. I'm leaving the country Hillary, you know that there's no way we'd be able to stay together."

Hillary didn't understand. "But… why? I was willing to give this long distance relationship a try. We can make this work, I know it!"

"No, we can't. It just won't work." Jake suddenly got a strange twinkle in his eye. "Besides, I hear there are a lot of hotties in England, I don't want to be tied to one person and end up being unfaithful, you know what I'm saying?"

"I don't believe you!" Hillary shouted, slapping Jake with all her strength.

Jake rubbed his cheek, which was now turning red from the slap. "Well, I guess this is goodbye. But hey, if I don't meet any girls down in England, I'll definitely give you a call next summer, so we can hook up again," Jake said with a wink as he got into his cab.

Hillary's anger was bubbling up inside her; Jake's words tore her heart to shreds. She wasn't just some object for the boys to play with, then throw away. She couldn't take it anymore. "In your dreams, Jake! I'm not wasting any more time on you!" It wasn't exactly what some would call a vicious and insulting outburst, but since Hillary was usually so calm and collected, she surprised herself.

Jake's cab began to disappear down the street and Jake didn't even look back. Hillary wasn't even sure that he heard her. But now that he was gone, she didn't have to hide her tears.

Sandy and Maxwell had met up with Stan on the street and were watching the scene from behind a nearby trashcan.

"What a jerk!" Stan yelled, with his fists clenched. "If I wasn't so small I'd beat the crap outta him right now! No one treats my old owner this way and gets away with it!"

"Don't take any of this personally, Max, he's just upset," Sandy said, noticing that Maxwell looked pretty uncomfortable with Stan's outburst.

"Don't worry, I understand. Just when I think he's being nice, Jake always ends up being a jerk. That's why I never really mentioned him before to you guys," Maxwell explained.

Sandy simply nodded. She couldn't bear to see her owner this upset. But at the moment, there was something else on her mind. "_Where's Noel? He should have been here by now!_" She thought to herself.

_Life is full of lots of up and downs  
But the distance feels further  
When it's headed for the ground  
And there's nothing more painful  
Then to let your feelings take you down  
_

Sandy discovered the answer to her question when Hillary turned around to run back into her apartment, and bumped right into Noel.

_It's so hard to know  
The way you feel inside  
When there's many thoughts  
And feelings that you hide  
But you might feel better  
If you let me walk with you, by your side_

"It's alright, Hillary; I'm here for you," Noel said gently, pulling Hillary into his arms.

And when you need a shoulder to cry on  
When you need a friend to rely on  
When the whole world is gone, you won't be alone

As Hillary cried into the soft material of Noel's jacket, the clouds above them grew darker.

_'Cause I'll be there, I'll be your shoulder to cry on  
I'll be there, I'll be your friend to rely on  
When the whole world is gone, you won't be alone_

_'Cause I'll be there  
_

When the raindrops began to fall, Noel removed his jacket and wraped it around Hillary's shoulders, protecting her from the storm.

Hillary looked up at her best friend. "Noel, tell me, in all honesty, what's wrong with me? Why can't I find a guy who will treat me right?"

_All of the times when everything is wrong  
And you're feeling like there's no use going on  
You can't give it up, I'll help you work it out, and carry on _

"Hillary, nothing is wrong with you. You're beautiful, you're smart, and you're funny. You're absolutely perfect, but Jake was a jerk. He didn't see you the way I do."

_Side by side, with you till the end  
I'll always be the one to firmly hold your hand  
No matter what is said or done our love will always continue on_

"You always know just what to say," Hillary whispered, her eyes glossy. "You're the best friend I could ask for, and…"

Everyone needs a shoulder to cry on  
Everyone needs a friend to rely on  
When the whole world is gone, you won't be alone  
'Cause I'll be there, I'll be your shoulder to cry on  
I'll be there, I'll be your friend to rely on  
When the whole world is gone, you wont be alone

Noel put a finger to Hillary's mouth to get her to stop talking. Then he did what he had wanted to do for a long time. He closed his eyes, and kissed her softly on the lips.

As the hamsters watched from their hiding place, Stan and Sandy secretly gave each other a high five. Their plan was a success.

_'Cause I'll be there, You'll have my shoulder to cry on_

_I'll be there, I'll be the one to rely on  
When the whole world is gone, you wont be alone  
'cause I'll be there_

The rain continued to fall, but neither wanted the moment to end. Hillary wrapped her arms around Noel's neck, and pulled him closer.

_And when the whole world's gone__  
You'll always have my shoulder to cry on_

It was then that Hillary realized that the guy she was looking for had been right in front of her all along. Her best friend – her shoulder to cry on.

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_**The End**_

Well, there you have it, my very first story has come to a close. Yeah, I know I wrote another story kind of in the middle while I was writing this one, but this is still my first. I hope everyone liked the ending! Please review this final chapter, I can't wait to hear your comments! Much love goes out to my faithful readers and reviewers, you know who you are! Muah!

I'm working on my next story right now, hopefully it'll be up soon! And maybe, just maybe I'll write an epilogue to this one! Well, talk to you soon!

**Sparkleshine101**


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